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''Electronic Poet'', also known as ''E.P. (Electronic Poet)'', is an outdoor 1984 sculpture by
Keith Jellum Keith Jellum is an American artist based in Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Por ...
, located above the sidewalk on Southwest Morrison Street, between 9th and 10th Avenues in downtown
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
,
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. The abstract piece is made of bronze and an
LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
light board which displays poems programmed in a loop. It is administered by the
Regional Arts & Culture Council The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is an organization that administers arts grants in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties that also do advocacy in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It evolved from the city†...
.


Description

The sculpture measures x x and is made of bronze and an
LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
light board. It displays curated collections of poems programmed in an "evolving" loop, intended to be rotated every six months. Selections of Jellum's favorite poems from around the world have featured American poets born before 1990, European, Native American and Northwestern poets, and Oregon place names, among others. The artist wanted to create "opportunities for moments of reflection within the urban landscape". The
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
categorizes the sculpture as abstract. Smithsonian lists the parking garage at the intersection of Southwest 10th and Yamhill as the work's owner, while 'cultureNOW' says it is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the
Regional Arts & Culture Council The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is an organization that administers arts grants in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties that also do advocacy in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It evolved from the city†...
. ''Electronic Poet'' was funded by the city's Percent for Art program and is administered by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.


Reception

"Dr. Know" (Marty Smith) of ''
Willamette Week ''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture. History Early history ''Willame ...
'' emphasized that the sculpture does not compose the text it displays and said its six-month rotation schedule "does not appear to be religiously observed". Of the work's introduction, in the form of the text "I am E.P." being displayed approximately every ten minutes, Smith hypothesized: "Since ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' came out in 1982, possibly the Poet’s name was a play on the then-recent sci-fi blockbuster about another technologically advanced being with a wide, flat head. Possibly, but I hope not." The sculpture has been included in walking tours of Portland.


See also

*
1984 in art Events from the year 1984 in art. Events * November 6 - The Turner Prize is awarded for the first time, to Malcolm Morley. * Neue Slowenische Kunst is established. * First Nordik art historians' conference held, "Nordic art around the turn of ...
*
Digital art Digital art refers to any artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as part of the creative or presentation process, or more specifically computational art that uses and engages with digital media. Since the 1960s, various names ...
*
Digital poetry Digital poetry is a form of electronic literature, displaying a wide range of approaches to poetry, with a prominent and crucial use of computers. Digital poetry can be available in form of CD-ROM, DVD, as installations in art galleries, in cert ...
*
Electronic literature Electronic literature or digital literature is a genre of literature encompassing works created exclusively on and for digital devices, such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones. A work of electronic literature can be defined as "a constr ...


References


External links


A Guide to Portland Public Art
(2010), Regional Arts & Culture Council (PDF) {{Portal bar, Oregon, Visual arts 1984 establishments in Oregon 1984 sculptures Abstract sculptures in Oregon American poetry collections Bronze sculptures in Oregon Digital art Electronic literature Outdoor sculptures in Portland, Oregon Southwest Portland, Oregon