Ekphrasis
By Elaine Jinto
According to the Oxford Dictionary, ekphrasis is the use of detailed description of a work of visual art as a literary device. This means using art as a source of inspiration, a starting point for a larger piece, or simply imagining what the artist is doing outside of the painting.
A few examples are Homer's Shield of Achilles from The Iliad, John Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn," and "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus" by William Carlos Williams. Clearly, ekphrasis has a long, rich history across world literature—from ancient Greek epics to the Classics! "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley, which describes a ruined, ancient statue in the desert is my favourite poem that uses Ekphrasis.
Ekphrasis is a wonderful way to get inspired when you are stuck, or to "break the ice" when you are uninspired. Writing can also be inspired by other forms of art like music and dance—or vice versa.
This form of writing also emphasises the connection between writing and other forms of art. I often look at paintings to get ideas. I usually research the context of the painting and who the painter was to get an idea of what really is going on in the piece. After that, I spend a while just observing the details. Even the smallest detail can make the story or poem really different. Some of my favourite paintings include Champs de Mars: The Red Tower by Robert Delaunay, Three Girls by Amrita Sher-Gil, and Dariba by Anjolie Ela Menon.
Another interesting aspect of ekphrasis would be to imagine a painting or a work of art before you start writing about a particular topic. Say you want to write a villanelle about a farm. What color is the barn? How do the orchards look in the evening? Visualise it, try to paint a picture in your mind, before you get started.
One problem with Ekphrasis is that it’s easy to get lost in long-winded descriptions. While the details matter, it is important to also imagine what could be going on in the picture—to interpret it in your own way. What could the lady in the painting be thinking? Why did the artist use those particular colours?
If you are a writer, then you could choose a painting that you love and write a story or a poem based on that. It need not be just visual art. If you have a favourite song or you like dancing, then write based on that! If you are an artist, you could do it the other way around. Choose a story, poem, dance form, or song you like and make some visual art based on that! You could even try collaborating with a friend—one of you could do the art, and another can write a story based on it.
There are many opportunities for Ekphrastic writers! Here are some of them.
Rattle Ekphrastic Challenge
Rattle Magazine holds an Ekphrastic Challenge every month. Check it out on this link: https://rattle.com/page/ekphrastic/
The Ekphrastic Review
A magazine dedicated to publishing Ekphrastic writing.
Next time you sit down to write, work with Ekphrasis! Explore the connections between different forms of art.
