Anish Kapoor ~ Hexagonal Mirror Inspired Poetry

Six of us docents entered the gallery in which Anish Kapoor's Hexagonal Mirror hangs at the Portland Art Museum yesterday. As we approached this reflective piece our individual and collective realities were altered. We each saw a slightly different perspective of our group and the room as we moved forward, stood still, move backwards together. As we explored and talked, our world changed. Hundreds of eyes, then hundreds of mouths, then our faces would appear. And as the images in each reflective six sided piece of reflective stainless changed, we found our voices amplified. Whispers from the bench were amplified and carried across the room. We were alone, together, whole, fragmented. Kapoor's piece is definitely a reason to visit the Portland Art Museum even if you have seen or don't want to see China Design Now or Raphael's La Velata again. I'd recommend all three but I'd recommend starting with Kapoor.

Each of us docents wrote for eight minutes towards the end of our time at the museum. We could write whatever we chose. Here is a piece written by one of our group - I chose it for my love of eyeglasses of which I have five active pairs, only one diamond but five glasses. The special perks of being one of the writers of this blog is to choose what is posted...

A Moment of Clarity

(with a nod to Anish Kapoor's Hexagonal Mirror)

I wake up with a start
Then a slow inkling
A Blur Feast at dawn

I reach over to the bedside stand
groping for my designer glasses .. my Anish Kapoor
coolest glasses ever
Shiny reflective
I-see-You-but-You-can't-see-me-Anish-Kapoor-Alternative-Universe-Spectator-Spectacles


There You are next to me
reflected, refracted,
fragmented,
scattered
all over the room.

I move and the wall curves
the picture colors pulse like
goldfish mouths O-O-O-O

Get it together! You can't go out
in the world all schizoid like this
multiple personalities writhing like snakes on Medusa's Head

And You talk fast at me with your myopic words
Take off those Anish Kapoor specs right now!

And I say low and slow NO Never! You blind man.