The poetic quality of metaphor

Abstract

The poetic quality of metaphor is important in my work. The most attractive aspect of metaphor is in the ability of images to make inferences, that are seemingly unrelated to their own physical characteristics. The images then become a vehicle for a shadowed sense or mood that is more poetic than prosaic in feel. I enjoy enhancing this poetic nature by inventing situations or contexts that have a dramatic flavor. I find that the image then projects its own curious reality, separate from mere literal depiction. In some instances, I employ an almost iconographic presentation to my imagery, while in others using a more narrative approach. Both have advantages that allow me to play upon the dramatic element I am fond of exhibiting. The source for my work is more a result of seeking a mood or sense complimentary to my own sensibilities, sometimes alluding to self, other times reflecting a relationship between myself and my immediate environment. The source of my imagery is generally drawn from the world of objects that surround me. It is their common everyday qualities that provide me with a great many possibilities of combination. The character of their combination in my work is exciting to me, in that it frees me from the past experience of forcing a preeminent sense of meaning upon image. The combinations reflected become more a poetic response on my part, to an intuited relationship, oftentimes originating from allowing contrasting or unrelated images to Combine, I also feel that the poetic quality of metaphor in my work induces an observer response, confronting his own sensibilities.