Poetic Express
Art is tough to define, though many have tried. In one attempt at defining, someone once said that art is what’s left behind after creativity is expressed. And while there may be artists who hide their work from others to be enjoyed only in private, most artists have a desire to share their creativity.
Art can be visual representation, but it can also be communication: of ideas, of noticing, of one individual’s take on the world. In his book The Sane Society (1955), Erich Fromm talks about what he calls “Collective art.” This is art as a meaningful response to the world in a social setting.
“‘Collective art,‘ is shared; it permits man to feel one with others in a meaningful, rich, productive way. It is not an individual ‘leisure time‘ occupation, added to life, it is an integral part of life.” (p. 339)
Maurice Greenia, Jr., is an artist who likes to share his work. With The Poetic Express, he takes his art to the streets. He gives it away, he makes it free for everyone, and in this way, he makes it an integral part of the society he lives in.
The Poetic Express is a weaving of image and text, poetry and humor, unique story telling and fantasy. It communicates, it shares, and it amuses all who come upon it. And this all started, Maurice tells us in his introduction to the collection, in the mid-1980s with a very unique experiment (volume 1).
Maurice adds to this collection often, and now volume 28 is available. If you haven’t spent some time with The Poetic Express collection in the Maurice Greenia, Jr. Collections digital archive, you’re really in for a treat!
(April, 2015, will mark the 30th anniversary of the first volume that was completed in 1985! Look for something special to commemorate this creative milestone.)
