Fans of poetry and art will really dig the work of Anatol Knotek. His creations weave his words into work that is first and formost visual. While that’s nothing new in the art community, for poetry, it is a much needed breath of fresh air. Poetry is a dichotomy of rules and creativity, often at odds with one another. We are taught to be creative as possible with our words and with what we choose to spill forth onto paper, but when it comes to form, rhyme, and the visual, too many times is a format pushed on writers. Poetry can be expressed in so many ways, but very few of them are seen as acceptable and beautiful, especially to academics. Knotek’s work breaks the mold in some astonishing ways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve seen plenty of work in typeface, but none so clever as Anatol Knotek’s. The artist, who got his start over ten years ago after meeting an Austrian poet, may have actually helped set the trend for other to follow. He is not the first to create visual poetry, not by far, but his fascination with painting and the fine arts shaped his work into something wholly different and new. His work ranges from intricate and detailed portraits made entirely from written words by the artist, the visually stunning pieces made of newspaper (words not his own, transformed into new images), and pieces that break down words themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

In fact, some of his most popular pieces are very simple in what they present. They are clever puns or deconstructions of one word or phrase against a plain backdrop. Words fall apart to create new ideas or come together in a way that’s refreshing or telling. They are still poignant and sometimes humorous at the way language is used, presented, or taken apart to create a new meaning. They're visually arresting and cool and so different from Knotek's other work, which is a wonderful things. Their stark contrast with the handwritten, intricate, and crowded potraits he creates are wonderful. Check out a ton of his work in the slideshow below and so much more on his website!

 

 

 

 

[via My Modern Met]