Emily Calvo
Chicago, Illinois, USA
So much of life is about deciding when to take control and when to let go—to allow the universe to shape the next moment. I gravitate to watercolor because painting is a reflection of this exercise: the dance of intention and accident. My vision is tempered by mood as well as concrete elements—making painting an act of faith. I find the outcome healing.
Adding a poem to my paintings shares my poetry on a visual level. In doing so, I narrow the possibilities for interpretation. A mood is thrust on viewers—which heightens the “accuracy” of their understanding but can narrow their internal dialog regarding the piece. So is communication increased or diminished? How many other interpretations might the poem have provoked? How many other messages would the art convey? And while the way a poem is read out loud often helps literary interpretation, this series demonstrates that a poem, returned to the page, can work with images to polish its “voice.”
Emily Thornton Calvo is a Chicago-based artist and poet who often creates “Wall Poems,” paintings that include her poems. Her work has been shown in numerous galleries, libraries, and festivals throughout the city as well as in The Art Center Highland Park and Fontenay Le Comte, France. Her art has been published in the Syracuse Cultural Workers Women’s Datebook, East on Central, and Windy City Review. Most recently, she completed paintings for an anthology edited by notable poet, Nikki Giovanni titled, Standing in the Need of Prayer.
2019, watercolor on paper with laser print on tissue, 12 x 20 in. (15 x 19 in. with black matte and 1 in. black frame)
2013, watercolor on paper, 9 x 4 in. (13 x 8 in. with white matte and light wood frame)
