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Poets and artists

Jane Seabourne

is a poet and teacher.

Poems - Reflection Exhibition – Green Wood Centre, Coalbrookdale, Telford. 22nd May – 5th June 2011

The Etymology of Lepidoptery:
Regarding the Green-Veined White
The starting point for this poem was walk on the hills near Oswestry. In the poem, I consider two different sorts of knowledge – the scientific method of naming and labelling and a more instinctive, impressionistic way of knowing. The contrast is expressed in a playful way by using a variety of names for butterflies.

Researching for the poem, I discovered that the etymology of ‘butterfly’ is unclear. In some languages, the shape of butterflies are captured: ‘bow-ties’ is a translation of the Italian ‘farfalla’; day-flaps’, and ‘hinges’ come from German. In other languages, there is a more earthy connection ‘motyl’ is Polish and has its roots in a fly that spreads disease among sheep. ‘Ghosts’ is from the Ancient Greek ‘psyche’ –the Greeks believed that butterflies carried the souls of dead people; ‘summer-flyer’ is similar to the Yiddish ‘Zomerfeygele’ and the Norwegian, ‘Sommerfugl’ – ‘summer-bird’. Dr Johnson, in his dictionary, traced the root of the English word back to what he called a Saxon word, and defined the butterfly as ‘a beautiful insect, so named because it first appears at the beginning of the season for butter.’

I collaborated with 3D artist Krystyna Sochacki who has interpreted the theme of naming butterflies. She created literal images of butterfly names has mounted her butterflies in the manner of Victorian and Edwardian butterfly collectors, whose work suggests something precious and something ephemeral.

Krystyna’s second piece uses vintage 78 records cut and moulded into butterflies, escaping from their original meaning. In both pieces, Krystyna uses recycled materials.







Read 'Regarding the Green-Veined White'.

The Pathways of Desire
This poem arose out of a conversation with visual artist John Hampton. Talking about the Green Wood Centre and the industrial heritage of Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge, we wondered what the landscape had been like before the Industrial Revolution. We both recalled how when we were young, people would still walk around the villages where we grew up.

The phrase ‘pathways of desire’ was first used by American architect Thomas Frick in 1987 to account for the phenomenon he observed in Central Park where people ignored the pathways for ones they make themselves.

John Hampton has created mono-prints.



Read 'The Pathways of Desire'.

Instructions for Walking in Woods
This poem seeded itself in my mind some years ago when I met a woman from a Traveller family who told me that when we go into a wood, we should touch the first tree we come across, to show how much all nature is connected, that humans are part of nature, not superior to it.

I also drew inspiration from Colin Tudge’s book ‘The Secret Lives of Trees’ and from conversations with John Hampton.

Read 'Instructions for Walking in Woods'.

Dust
Painter Colin Derricot’s painting of an industrial landscape, such as would once have been common in Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale, sparked early childhood memories for me. I was brought up in Blaenafon, in the Eastern Valley of South Wales, which was a coal mining community. In this poem, I remember seeing miners squatting on street corners. Brought up in the 1950s, I would have been the last generation to see this: all the mines in South Wales had closed by the 1970s. Anyone going underground had to show that they had nothing with them that could start a fire – these were called ‘contraband’. But they all brought up dust with them, in scar tissue or as emphysema, or pneumoconiosis.

Colin’s oil painting shows the contrast between the worlds above and below ground – above ground the landscape is dominated by angular man-made structure, underground the claustrophobic space is lit by warm yellow lamp-light.



Read 'Dust'.

Poems - Dudley Rock and Fossil Festival September 2009

The Author of the Pocket Compendium to Wren’s Nest
Rosalind Glover and I are both interested in the idea that geologists read rocks like we might read books, and for them, the rocks contain stories of people who lived in Wren’s Nest. Picking up on this theme, Rosalind has incorporated her impressions using various printmaking and mixed media techniques, telling a story open to the viewers’ own interpretations.



Listen and read 'The Author of the Pocket Compendium to Wren’s Nest'.

The Great Dustbinian Formation
It is estimated that where paper and orange peel take the least amount of time to degrade, plastic is immortal. Apparently, geologists joke that our wasteful age will be called ‘The Great Dustbinian Formation’

John Hampton and I in are both interested in this idea, which he has interpreted in assemblages recording layers of discarded items, combined with timepieces.



Listen and read 'The Great Dustbinian Formation'.

The Rock Cycle
This poem takes as its inspiration the rock cycle, using repetition to convey the process of fossil formation. Justin Nicholson was similarly inspired by the idea of layers and repeated processes.



Listen and read 'The Rock Cycle'.

The Fossil Man
Linda Nevill and I collaborated on this theme. Linda based her image on sketches of fossils and sea creatures. She drew the image onto a piece of mount board; developed the surface of the board by cutting into it to create grooves to hold the ink; glued carborundum grit onto the surface to also hold ink and finally Inked and printed the image using an etching press. She included her impression of how some of the creatures might have appeared.

James Hutton, in Theories of the Earth published in 1795, summed up the then new study of rocks – geology – as a means for the present to tell us about the past.



Listen and read 'The Fossil Man'.

Poems - Light House Exhibition April 2006

Leaving
The poem 'Leaving' captures two sides of revenge, and explores the idea that everything appears to gravitate to its own element. It is inspired by 'When it's time to go' 15 x 30 inches Fabric dye and stencil lettering on canvas by Ken Hurd.



Listen and read 'Leaving'.

Elements
The poem 'Elements' is inspired by the work of Ken Hurd.

Listen and read 'Elements'.

Fire and Water
The poem 'Fire and Water' is inspired by 'Nothing is ever lost' 30 x 30 inches Fabric dye and stencil lettering on canvas by Ken Hurd.



Listen and read 'Fire and Water'.

She's in her element
The poem 'She's in her element' is inspired by 'Another Sea' 30 x 30 inches Fabric dye and stencil lettering on canvas by Ken Hurd.



Listen and read 'She's in her element'.

Carpe Noctem
The poem 'Carpe Noctem' is inspired by 'Girls Night Out' by Joy bailey.



Listen and read 'Carpe Noctem'.

Perfume
The poem 'Perfume' is partly inspired by the Patrick Susskind's novel.

Listen and read 'Leaving'.