January 23, 2009
American poetry is due for a new movement. The frontrunner is “Flarf.” Google and the internet overload make Flarf possible, because the poem's content must be a collage of search returns. It’s experimental, but also a pretty good way to liven up a poetry reading. Sean Cole has the story.
Please be advised this story contains adult language.
Stan Apps reads "Elmo" at the Flarf Festival:
Flarf seems to share inherent characteristics of audio sampling/remix. Doesn't it? Perhaps there's an English or Philosophy thesis buried somewhere in this notion. . .
Ira- indeed it does. We're creating poetry with internet search results over at www.poegles.com, as well; slightly different approach than the flarfsters, but with a similar basic thought.
Flarf is some of the most interesting poetry I have had the pleasure to hear. It is of our time, for our time; that is, for the now. Will it last? Will Google last? Mining Google is a wonderful art tool here is another example.
This is made with a chanced selection from John Cage's and David Tutor's Indeterminacy. The videos were chosen with a chance operation system which utilized 90 words presented to me by 9 friends. The chanced word was put into an Internet search engine for videos. Videos were then selected by chance. The editing too was all done with a chance operation which relied on dice.
http://www.archive.org/download/to_be_watched_in_a_state_of_confusion/cageconfustion.m4v
http://www.archive.org/download/to_be_seen_laying_on_your_back/layingonyourback.m4v
http://www.archive.org/download/to_be_watched_while_enjoying_mushrooms_For_John_Cage/cage.m4v
http://www.archive.org/download/to_be_watched_drinking_water/towatchwhiledrinkingwater.m4v
In the poetry world, Flarf has had a, um, "very mixed reception."
Not that that is a bad thing, of course...
But there is a lively, unfolding discussion centering on the group's somewhat fraught history here, for those interested:
http://www.possumego.blogspot.com/
Kent
Please keep your comments relevant to this entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. All comments on Studio 360 are moderated. Studio 360 reserves the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the studio360.org Comment Guidelines before posting.
<< Back to EpisodeStudio 360 is a co-production of
Public
Radio International and
WNYC New York Public Radio, and is funded in part by
Ken and Lucy Lehman, the
National Endowment for the Arts, and the Lily Auchincloss Foundation. Studio 360's American Icons series is supported in part by the
National Endowment for the Humanities. Our series on creativity and science is supported in part by the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Our series on Underground Heroes is supported in part by the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. 
