Lesson Twelve
Visual Renga

Most people are fairly familiar with the art of combining haiku and graphics material under the name of haiga. What is surely less well-know are renga written with graphics.

In 2008 AHA Books published three works done by Marlene Mountain and me in 1992. The start of the work was due to Marlene sending one of her 'ransom note' collages. Instead of writing back about it, we simply started a renga by my sending her my graphic done in response to hers.

This was her page we used as cover for the three works:

Marlene then supplied the hokku:

and I responded with:

You can see all the works in Tear Out of Renga online.

Just remembered that Werner and I did what we called a box renga. On a day when the electical power was out we put an empty wooden box in different set-ups. We devised each set up as a response to the previous one. Then we recorded the series of 36 photographs as a renga. This was published in Lynx - somewhere

WR - You can tell those are his glasses and the view of the ocean is from his window.

JR - I would guess from the dangerous stuff here.

WR Using a mask made from an egg carton posed on a book of Dali's paintings.

JR - The mask is now turned sideways and someone is listenint to the eyes.

WR - and here he is and looking rather gloomy about it all.

I hope this work inspires you to use your new renga skills
in interesting new ways.

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