What do you first notice? What lingers with you after you look away? Is there more to the story, things beneath the surface that you're curious about? What questions would you ask the art or the artist if you could?
All these ideas (and more) were on my mind as I engaged with the work of Roberto Benavidez, who describes himself as "sculptor specializing in the piñata form." Benavidez came to my attention through my brother, John, who sent me a link to an episode of Craft in America (streaming on PBS) which featured Benavdez's amazing pinatas. I then quickly lost myself in his creations, which play with themes of "race, sexuality, art, sin, humor, ephemerality and beauty." If you can't find something to write about in that list, look again!
But what most drew my eyes were Benavidez's paper sculptures that were inspired by another piece of art, Hieronymus Bosch's famous The Garden of Earthly Delights (also concerned with above said list...heavy on the SIN part.) It was from that body of work that I found my muse, choosing to engage not so much with sin, but with the art's humor, and the ephemerality of any physical form, be it a lifetime in a rat's twitching body or one quiet moment in a yoga pose.
Please do go look around at Benavidez's work. And if you feel inspired, pick one to write to. Here's mine: (and apologies to this beast if he's not a rat...there's no tail, but he just felt like a rat to me.)
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| Artwork by Roberto Benavidez from his collection "Beasts in the Garden of Earthly Delights." |
RAT YOGA
His torso is plump as an avocado,
his bandy forelegs balancing
only ripe mischief and bravado
He’s cleared his mind of the fury
of the glinting trap, the gasping terror
of a tail wrenched off in a blurry-hurry
Weightless, he’s free to grandstand,
to steady his lurching heartbeat
to a joyful march inside the bandstand
of his puffed paper chest—oh so zen,
this posing rat, only his nose
twitch-twitching now and then.
-----Sara Lewis Holmes (all rights reserved)
Poetry Friday is hosted today by Susan at Chicken Spaghetti.
Now I'm giggling, imagining Templeton sneaking away from the barn to calm his nerves with some secret yoga poses before he returns to raid Wilbur's trough and terrorize the geese. :-)
ReplyDeleteRIGHT? That was my FIRST thought: it's TEMPLETON!!! -tanita
DeleteI like that you brought the idea of a 'grandstand' into this pose, Sara. It feels like you've caught the way rats must survive, all that bravado, and in the dark, doing yoga!
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha this is so joyful! The sculpture and the poem and the idea of a rat being compared to an avocado! I love it!
ReplyDeleteMy Chinese zodiac sign is the rat, so I celebrate the unrelenting spirit of this fine furred fellow!
ReplyDeleteI love that you've given this semi-weird, not-really-a-rat a story and a purpose to match his pose. He really is avocado shaped - and yet, he's still in balance somehow, which is delightful.
ReplyDeleteSarah, this is marvelous! Avocado-sized stomach, bandy legs--the details crack me up. Definitely a rat who lost his tail. --Susan
ReplyDeleteYour poem captures this talented rat so perfectly, right down to his missing tail!
ReplyDeleteThe rhyming and the overall rhythm/ meter of your poem made it fun to read. So clever. I enjoyed the ending as I imagined him twitching his nose maybe one too many times and loosing his balance. Thank you for sharing your blog on Facebook. I just happened to see it today. I love poetry and maybe will give it a try.
ReplyDeleteYESSS... I imagined he lost that tail and never looked back! Perhaps a no-tail rat is not a bad rat? Such a great inspiration, Benavidex!
ReplyDeleteThe piñata is amazing, and your poem, equally so! I love "Weightless, he's free to grandstand" -- well, all of it. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteLove your rhymes--especially avocado and bravado! These pinatas are amazing!
ReplyDeleteYou had me at the first line comparing his torso to an avocado, and then the fun just kept coming. Thanks for sharing and bringing me a smile.
ReplyDeleteI have so enjoyed the piñata art, and the poems they have inspired. Seeing the different piñatas that resonated with participating poets, and the poems they inspired. I love your take on this tail-less fellow! Thanks for sharing it this week.
ReplyDeleteI so love this! It is playful and so full of life. I love all the connections to yoga practice (clearing the mind, steady heartbeat, the breathing). I also appreciate the speculation on the loss of the tail! Lovely all the way around.
ReplyDeleteOh, that glinting trap and gasping terror. You made me feel how rat-like I am, Sara! Who knew?
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