Sijo as a Portal to Sculpture
Announcing a Sijo competition in conjunction with a sculpture show that features contemporary interpretations of Korean Suseok (수석), also called Viewing Stones in Japan, Suiseki (水石) or Scholar's Rocks in China, Gongshi ( 供石). All entries are encouraged. This is an opportunity to study and experiment in the living tradition of the uniquely Korean poetry style Sijo. The best poems will be performed via zoom, posted here, and will be shown with the artist’s works, both in the art gallery and an on-line catalog. Selected writers will be awarded a signed print from Andy Moerlein.
Boston artist Andy Moerlein presents wood stone poem, a show focused on the tradition of bringing stones into the garden and home as a portal to nature. He has selected a series of his contemporary sculptures for this focused response by poetry enthusiasts. This competition is created with sponsorship from the Korean Cultural Society of Boston. Selection of winners will be by David McCann, Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Literature, Emeritus, Harvard University.
Submissions due
March 31st. APRIL 25th to: sijosubmissions@gmail.com
See the inspiring works of art here:
Lunge
Passages
Pale Wave
Sijo is, at heart, a song. It is for the Koreans what the ballad is for Western Europeans. Sijo is traditionally composed in three lines of 14-16 syllables each, between 44-46 total. A pause breaks each line approximately in the middle. The sijo may tell a story (as the ballad does), examine an idea (as the sonnet does), or express an emotion (as the lyric does). Whatever the purpose may be, the structure is the same: line 1 of the 3-line pattern introduces a situation or problem; line 2 develops or "turns" the idea in a different direction; and line 3 provides climax and closure. Think of the traditional 3-part structure of a narrative (conflict, complication, climax). See: sejongculturalsociety.org and links on this website.
For this competition, each Sijo will respond to a piece of sculpture. The poems will serve as an invitation to visitors to the gallery to enter the work from a poet’s point of view. Visit andymoerlein.com click on Sijo Competition to see Moerlein’s Suseok inspired art. Please send submissions to: sijosubmissions@gmail.com
wood stone poem
Boston Sculptors Gallery 486 Harrison Ave Boston MA USA May 5 - June 6, 2021
This Sijo Poetry Challenge is sponsored by the Korean Cultural Society of Boston.
