PEGI EYERS
JAZZ WITCH
The Curious Art of Gertrude Abercrombie
A Discovery Workshop for Ekphrastic Writers
HOSTED BY THE EKPHRASTIC REVIEW
The Queen of Bohemian Artists
Writers and poets find endless inspiration in the curious artworks of Gertrude Abercrombie, a Chicago area surrealist painter known as the "Jazz Witch." Abercrombie developed a personal visual language, and her intriguing art is filled with recurring motifs such as eerie moonlit landscapes, empty rooms, owls, cats, broomsticks, and inscrutable self-portraits.
“I like to paint simple things that are a little strange,” she once said.
Abercrombie’s life is as fascinating as her art. The daughter of globetrotting Christian Scientist opera singers, she was a self-described witch who became a fixture in Chicago’s bohemian scene in the mid-twentieth century, and a friend of jazz greats such as Sarah Vaughan and Dizzy Gillespie.
Inspired by Abercrombie's jazz connections and art, in the "Jazz Witch" work-shop we discussed her peculiar themes and paintings, and engaged with several writing exercises. Ekphrastic writing workshops with artist and writer Lorette C. Luzajic are truly amazing! Look for future events at The Ekphrastic Review website here www.ekphrastic.net
Writers and poets find endless inspiration in the curious artworks of Gertrude Abercrombie, a Chicago area surrealist painter known as the "Jazz Witch." Abercrombie developed a personal visual language, and her intriguing art is filled with recurring motifs such as eerie moonlit landscapes, empty rooms, owls, cats, broomsticks, and inscrutable self-portraits.
“I like to paint simple things that are a little strange,” she once said.
Abercrombie’s life is as fascinating as her art. The daughter of globetrotting Christian Scientist opera singers, she was a self-described witch who became a fixture in Chicago’s bohemian scene in the mid-twentieth century, and a friend of jazz greats such as Sarah Vaughan and Dizzy Gillespie.
Inspired by Abercrombie's jazz connections and art, in the "Jazz Witch" work-shop we discussed her peculiar themes and paintings, and engaged with several writing exercises. Ekphrastic writing workshops with artist and writer Lorette C. Luzajic are truly amazing! Look for future events at The Ekphrastic Review website here www.ekphrastic.net
Ekphrastic poetry as inspired by Gertrude Abercrombie
by Pegi Eyers
"Self-Imprisonment" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1949
In the Cage
by Pegi Eyers
In the cage
my walls are beautiful, the surface smooth.
The contours are pleasing
jigsaw shapes that should fit together.
I wait
for the darkness to lift.
Looking out over a land of terror
the bars of my cage are strings of luminous beads.
Treasures of past glory
threads that bind me to circles of care.
Turning,
I see the walls have vanished.
And yet, I remain frozen
in that same non-place.
The immense sky,
the fingernail moon calling me.
I slowly turn and make my way
removing the dress
removing the cage
I cycle back to the healing place.
The land holds me
and I am free.
my walls are beautiful, the surface smooth.
The contours are pleasing
jigsaw shapes that should fit together.
I wait
for the darkness to lift.
Looking out over a land of terror
the bars of my cage are strings of luminous beads.
Treasures of past glory
threads that bind me to circles of care.
Turning,
I see the walls have vanished.
And yet, I remain frozen
in that same non-place.
The immense sky,
the fingernail moon calling me.
I slowly turn and make my way
removing the dress
removing the cage
I cycle back to the healing place.
The land holds me
and I am free.
"The Dinosaur" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1964
Haiku by Pegi Eyers
dinosaur extinct
dark cloud hovering
immense white egg speaks of hope
Learn more about the life and art
of Gertrude Abercrombie >here<
A sampling of work by Gertrude Abercrombie~
"White Horse" by Gertrude Abercrombie 1938
"Alice through the Keyhole" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1971
"Flight" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1946
"Still Life - Leaf, Shell and Jacks" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1957
"Levitation" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1953
"Self-Portrait" by Gertrude Abercrombie, 1940
| Pegi Eyers is also the author of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, an award-winning book that explores social justice, nature spirituality, the ancestral arts, and resilience in times of massive change. www.stonecirclepress.com |
