Objects made of letters: Concrete poetry in Britain, 1963–75

Exhibition curated by Rick Poynor at the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication

Open by appointment until 28 March 2023. Please contact Emma Minns for an appointment.

Based on material from the collection of the late Andrew Belsey, philosophy lecturer, concrete poet and MA graduate from Typography & Graphic Communication, “Objects made of letters” explores and illustrates concrete poetry in its heyday. The experience of a concrete poem is always visual, the meaning – in the absence of conventional poetic imagery and syntax – often elusive. The exhibition provides a survey of key publications and illuminating examples, and focuses on the output of three significant figures: Dom Sylvester Houédard, Bob Cobbing and John Furnival.

Curated by Rick Poynor, with assistance from Eric Kindel, Emma Minns and Geoff Wyeth.