I created this collage a few months ago, when I was confined.

After 9 continuous months working on collages, I used a lot of texts. My texts. I have been writing since I was 17 years old. So I have all the material I need. Mixed media, words, images.

Reconnecting to myself.

No wonder I feel so free, strangely, in this disastrous year.

The truth is : it’s a rebirth.

I used here a poem I have written in 2010. It’s quite a long text, in French. Called : “les points de suspension”.

Indeed, these words have been suspended somewhere for 10 years.

Art as a necessity.

“ …

De l’âme à l’arme il n’y a qu’une lettre, écrite à l’encre sympathique parce que l’invisible demeure essentiel : « R », erre. La lettre rugueuse des écorchés. Les termes guerriers de la photographie ne laissent pas de me troubler. Armer. Déclencher. Recharger. L’arme à l’œil. Ajoutez une lettre : on passe aux larmes. Larmes du crime. L’âme du crime ? Par la force des âmes. Déposer les larmes, fin du combat. L’âme au poing. Faire le point. Alchimie. Révélateur. Petites ondes, grandes vagues. L’âme de fond. Vagues à l’arme. La mer l’amer l’âme erre. La muse l’amuse, l’âme use. L’image, Lee, mage. Lee mortel, l’immortel. À corps perdu. Accord perdu ? A moins que… A vous de voir.

Assez de mots. Le temps est venu de se draper dans le silence et de laisser parler les images. En-fin.”

––AR

“Insensé” : Text in the book “Les inachevés”, published by Art Cinema on June 21st 2018.

“From childhood’s hour I have not been 

As others were—I have not seen 

As others saw—I could not bring 

My passions from a common spring— 

From the same source I have not taken 

My sorrow—I could not awaken 

My heart to joy at the same tone— 

And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone— 

…”

Edgar Allan Poe.

Photograph © Ann Ray. “Alone”, Lee McQueen