worlds in sand

I try to keep posts here at least tangentially related to the world of poetry and writing, but I couldn’t resist sharing this. It’s a 24 year old Ukranian, Kseniya Simonova, from Ukraine’s Got Talent! She draws with sand on a lit table, and the images are projected onto a screen behind her. And it truly is amazing – kinetic art, evolving as she goes. She tells a story. No words needed.

It reminded me of Shaun Tan’s gorgeous book, The Arrival. Again, no words used, or needed.

Strange for a poet to admire such a wordless art? Maybe. Certainly less easy to do in poetry, although haiku tries to approach that state – effacing the poet and the words as far as possible. Making the medium disappear. And strongly imagistic poetry heads that direction. Perhaps that’s one reason why I don’t enjoy L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E poetry – it’s all about the medium. (At least I think that’s right … Ross?)