Image Text Image

Poets and artists

Emma Purshouse

is a performance poet, writer and workshop leader.

Poems – Dudley Rock and Fossil Festival September 2009

The Man Who Wants to Make Himself a Fossil
Rob McGuinness showed me some test pieces for 3D work he was hoping to produce on a geological theme. I became very interested in the different phases that the piece he was planning to exhibit would go through before it was finished.

In my poem I have considered the stages of the process that a man might undergo if he wanted to make himself into a fossil.



Listen and read 'The Man Who Wants to Make Himself a Fossil'.

Explore the Peace and Quiet of an Unspoilt Silurian Seascape – please roll up your trousers and mind the gap
When I saw an early version of John Hampton’s painting ‘Pause’, I was impressed with what I perceived to be the ‘silence’ of the image. This prompted a series of emails between John and myself in which we discussed the possibility of total silence.

My poem is an exploration of the sounds that might be going on beneath the surface of a Silurian Seascape!



Listen and read 'Explore the Peace and Quiet of an Unspoilt Silurian Seascape'.

Greta Gabbro
Linda Nevill had been studying rock samples under a microscope at Dudley Museum and she showed me some of the images she had photographed with a view to using them as source material for prints.

She had become particularly fascinated with the way Gabbro looked when magnified. She claimed that she had discovered ‘The Kingdom of Gabbro’!



Listen and read 'Greta Gabbro'.

Impressions of the Fossil Trade in Dudley (1845)
After a series of discussions, the sharing of research and our individual works in progress, Colin Derricott and I have created our own impressions of the fossil trade in Dudley during the 1800s and the part that the limestone miners played in that trade.

In my poem I’ve attempted to show how the limestone miners supplemented their income by selling the fossils they found to brokers who then sold them on to geologists such as Hugh Miller.

I have used three characters who are based upon real people. The first is a boy called John Bennet who is referred to on the 1841 census as being aged eleven, living in Bloomers Yard and working as a miner. The second is a hair dresser called William Roberts who was listed as living in Castle Street in 1841. The third character is Hugh Miller who visited Dudley in 1845 and recalls buying fossils from Roberts (‘First Impressions of England and its People’ – 1847).



Listen and read 'Impressions of the Fossil Trade in Dudley (1845)'.

Poems- Light House Exhibition 2006

Love Poem For A Mod
In an attempt to impress a man, the narrator of this poem learns everything she can about the Mod culture. In spite of her best efforts the object of her affection remains remote and unmoved. Research for this piece included the acquisition of a parka and a memorable trip to Brighton! If anybody does see the Mod in question, the writer would like her tent back!

'Love Poem for a Mod' is visualised in Linda Nevill's work, 'Retrospective'.



Listen and read 'Love Poem for a Mod'.

That Day
Detachment and Disorientation are the key themes in 'That Day'. This work has developed in tandem with John Hampton’s exhibition pieces.



Listen and read 'That Day'.

Kafka's Father
This is an example of a Tanka. It follows a strict syllabic form. Traditionally the focus of a Tanka is the natural world but after the first three lines there is often a pivot point where the focus changes from the external world to the thoughts and emotions of an internal world.

The poem, Kafka’s Father, was written to go with Rob McGuinness’s 3D piece. His work reminded me of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis; the story of a man who is transformed into an insect. My poem is an attempt to condense aspects of the story and Kafka’s personal life into a tiny form. During the writing of this poem I began to think of haiku and tanka as the beetles of the poetry world!



Listen and read 'Kafka's Father'.

How Would It Be
This poem was produced as a result of the initial collaboration between myself and printmaker Linda Nevill which lead to the formation of the group, Image Text Image. The piece was written on a train journey between Wolverhampton and Edinburgh.

'How would it be' is visualised in Linda Nevill's work, 'Tarra a bit'.



Listen and read 'How would it be'.

Here Is The News
This poem attempts to explore the feelings of unreality and detachment that can be experienced by people suffering with a panic disorder. The poem describes a world where nothing is as it should be.

'Here is the News' is visualised in Linda Nevill's work, 'Lost'.



Listen and read 'Here is the News'.