lyrics concrete

I have been working on lyrics as carmina figurata and pattern poems since I first started writing lyrics . Lyrics for me have a shape and pattern that finds meaning on the page as well as through vocalisation and sound. Lyrics in concrete form use semantic, visual and phonetic elements of language as raw material . It is a way of expressing something about the world of the past and now .

These lyrics are concrete as opposed to floating .

I mainly work on the lyrics in word.  Microsoft word is common . It is every day. Millions of people use it all around the world. I like that commonality. The shape and patterns of the concrete lyrics constructed in word is dirtier and more grounded .

Other concrete lyrics are in collaboration with visual artists. One project that has been going since 2019 is a collaboration with Matthew Robertson, a graphic artist and academic based in Bath, England. His interpretations of the lyrics were developed on graphic applications such as InDesign.  They are loftier , lighter and a different type of concrete structure. They are cleaner and have more air .They will be included here mainly in the paid subscriber section .

Another collaboration that uses the lyrics as a start point for visual storytelling is with Melbourne based videographer and photographer Sean T Barnes . I have been working with Sean on visuals for music , music clips and graphic representations of sound since 2013.

Concrete poems will be published here once a month.