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Friday, April 22, 2011

word portraits by john sokol

word portraits by john sokol: "01

Charles Baudelaire as Les Fleurs du Mal

02

Joyce Carol Oates as In the Region of Ice

03

Jorge Luis Borges as The Secret Miracle

04

W.H. Auden as Letter to Lord Byron

05

e.e. cummings as Selected Poems

06

Leo Tolstoy as War and Peace

I first came across John Sokol’s 'Word Portraits' via this article. They are a series of portraits of authors composed through their own words. What I like best about these is that they remind us that our physical features carry meaning that is beyond beauty. There is so much obsessing about 'lines' on our faces and the impending doom of wrinkles in our culture, that it renders our physicality and body a negative thing. These portraits suggest a different realm of meaning carried through our faces and the lines they acquire. They also remind me of an old boyfriend who used to comment every time he saw me about a new pen mark on my hands and face (yes, I do use pen and paper, I just can't deal with writing on my laptop 100% of the time). I always used to like this comment, it seemed to hint to a layer of flesh distinctly marked by my mind. To view more of Sokol's amazing art, visit his website.

If you've ever been interested in taking ballet classes as an adult, click here to read my article on behind ballet. And stay tuned, as I have some (small) news to share soon ...

All images copyright John Sokol.
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