AbstractsHistory

Voices of the Exhibition:The Rise of Ekphrasis during the 20th Century through Imagism and Visual Art Museums

by Zachary Stephen Moore




Institution: Wright State University
Department: Humanities
Degree: MHum
Year: 2015
Keywords: Art History; Literature; Museum Studies; Museums; Ekphrasis; Imagism; Ezra Pound; Richard Aldington; Amy Lowell; Museum; Museums; William Carlos Williams; Visual Art; Art
Record ID: 2058635
Full text PDF: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1431087392


Abstract

The purpose of this research is to identify main causes for the expansion of ekphrastic poetry during the 20th century and how it became a more widely used genre. The goal is to show how ekphrasis contributed to the growth of the interdisciplinary partnership between museums and poets. By evaluating two factors that led to a growing interest in the genre and increased accessibility to poetry and the visual arts. This is done by looking at ekphrastic work by Imagist poets like Ezra Pound, Richard Aldington and H.D. as well as the growth of 20th century museum accessibility and educational practices. The expansion of ekphrasis resulted in a wider exposure to poetry, the visual arts and museums. Ekphrasis assisted in accomplishing mutual goals of exposing and educating the public to both mediums, which resulted in better understanding of the genre and its influence on museums throughout the 20th century.