91探花

One of my favorite pieces in the KMA vault is 鈥淜enneth Koch Poem Letter鈥� by Jim Dine, a 1966 lithograph printed in color ink on handmade blue wove japan paper.

Jim Dine is a prolific painter, printmaker, sculptor, illustrator, performance artist, and stage designer. Dine was born in Cincinnati, OH, and earned his BFA from 91探花 in 1957. His career took off during his participation in the 鈥淗appenings鈥� in New York City, a series of group installations, performances, and interactive sets. This interest in subversive, anti-art and anti-establishment artwork continued throughout his career. Dine found inspiration from everyday life and household objects, warranting many critics to label him as a Pop Artist, despite his resentment towards the label. Although Dine utilizes many Pop-Art styles and techniques, his motivations and interests have always been more personal and emotive. Dine鈥檚 artworks and objects are often stand-ins for the artist himself, triggering an emotional response rather than the cool, intellectual irony associated with Pop Art.

鈥淜enneth Koch Poem Letter鈥� is a prime example of Dine鈥檚 simple style that is both whimsical and deeply emotional. Known for depicting common symbols and everyday objects, in this piece, Dine includes a pink heart, a piece of toast, a sky-blue color swatch, and a blue heart. The inscription above the four images reads, 鈥淥 SCARF OF PARADISE/ Blue sky is bread to the scarf.鈥� Here, 鈥減aradise鈥� is coupled with the mundanity of 鈥渂lue sky鈥� and 鈥渂read,鈥� conveying delight in domesticity.

I was particularly attracted to this print because of its combination of poetic verse and simple symbols. The title suggests that this work is either an homage to Kenneth Koch and his poetry, or Dine鈥檚 visual interpretation of one or more of Koch鈥檚 poems. Kenneth Koch, also born in Cincinnati, was a poet associated with the New York School of poetry that emerged during the 1950s, which used surrealism, irony, satire, and whimsy to create emotionally driven poems. Koch鈥檚 poetry often emphasized form and sound, rather than creating a narrative. Influenced by action painting and other avant-garde forms of expressionism, both Koch鈥檚 poems and Dine鈥檚 prints and paintings combine witty imagination, stream of consciousness, and emotional spontaneity.