Pearing the Apple: Putting it all together...

From his youth in Communist Eastern Europe to the present day in America, Valery Oisteanu has used his stong, individual voice as a writer, artist, and speaker to speak out for freedom and creativity. This month (opening reception Saturday June 6th) don't miss the chance to watch him juggle two of his favorite forms - poetry and collage, in the exhibition "Waltzing In Quicksand: Poets In Collage" at Tribes Gallery in the East Village.

In Oisteanu's words, “Po-Collage or Poetry-collage” has text and images...not like a scrap book, but as a unified artwork: text + image = po-collage. The whole of po-collage becomes totally different than the sum of its parts. I started doing po-collages as a daily diary in Bucharest, Romania in the 60’s as a form of protest and also encoding my poetry in a such a way that the secret police did not get my anti-communist messages in the mail-art that I created."

Valery Oisteanu - Po-Collage Book cover

Upon arriving in New York in the early 70’s, Valery became involved in the Ray Johnson Correspondence school, and beginning in 1974 at Feldman Gallery uptown, showed with Johnson in group exhibitions in such venues Bucker Gallery in Soho, Club 57, Noho Gallery and the Mudd Club. The author of 11 books of poetry, a book of short fiction and a book of essays: ”The Avant-Gods” in addition to an active career as an art journalist, he continues to teach, create and exhibit collage, including one-of-a-kind handmade artist books called Zen-dada Diaries. Some of his creations illustrate his just-launched collection of poems, "Perks in Purgatory," published by Fly By Night Press.

Zen-Dada Diary page, 1980 by Valery Oisteanu

In an experience guaranteed to exceed the sum of its parts, on Saturday June 6th you'll have a chance to see both facets of Valery in person, see his work, hear his poetry...in a verse teaser for the event, Oisteanu writes:

"...Objects and glue create Assemblage

Max Ernst invented Frottage & Grattage..."