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TATE ETC.

Visiting and Revisiting Art, etcetera.

POEM OF THE MONTH

Each month, TATE ETC. publishes new poetry by leading poets such as John Burnside, Moniza Alvi, Adam Thorpe, Alice Oswald and David Harsent who respond to works from the Tate Collection. Subscribe to the Poem of the Month RSS feed.

This August Ilka Scobie presents her poem based on Hélio Oiticica’s Grand Nucleus, on display as part of The Body Of Colour exhibition, at Tate Modern until 23rd September.

 

Grand Nucleus 1960-6
Hélio Oiticia

To capture the benevolent sun,
build a new city
aglow with solar possibilities
requires geometric buoyancy
A cosmic leap
Unabashed color
that illuminates the soul
Tropical, topical
A pure jolt of burning yellow
Golden planes of promise
The sunshine samba

Helio Oiticica, Grand Nucleas 1960-66
Hélio Oiticica
Grand Nucleus 1960–66
César and Claudio Oiticica Collection, Rio de Janeiro
Photo © Tate

Audio

Listen to Ilka Scobie reading her poem below.

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Ilka Scobie has taught poetry for eighteen years, and currently works with Teachers & Writers, the NYC Ballet Project, Career Education Center, and Henry Street Settlement. Ilka's poetry appears in many small press publications and she writes about contemporary art for the Internet.

Previous poems

October 2007 Will Eaves presents his poem Crater

September 2007 Francesca Beard presents her poem Portrait of A Young Child In Blue at Tate Britain

August 2007 Ilka Scobie presents her poem based on Hélio Oiticica’s Grand Nucleus

July 2007 Pelé Cox presents her poem based on Auguste Rodin’s The Kiss

June 2007 Jacob Polley presents his poem based on Nicholas Hilliard’s Queen Elizabeth I

May 2007 Penelope Shuttle presents her poem based on Barbara Hepworth’s Garden Sculpture (Model for Meridian)

April 2007: Lawrence Sail presents his poem based on Bridget Riley’s Metamorphosis

March 2007: Tishani Doshi presents her poem based on Alberto Giacometti’s Walking Woman

February 2007: Anne Rouse presents her poem based on Andreas Gursky's 99 Cent, 1999

January 2007: Moniza Alvi's poem on Samuel Palmer's Coming From Evening Church 1830

December 2006: David Harsent's poem based on Jean Dubuffet’s Le Arbres de Fluides 1950,
and Susan Hiller’s After the Freud Museum 1991-96

November 2006: John Burnside's poem on John Nash's The Cornfield 1918

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