THE SEER by MARTON KOPPANY

EILEEN TABIOS Engages

THE SEER by Márton Koppány

(Red Fox Press, Ireland, 2017)

Marton Koppány’s THE SEER is bound to be one of the most enchanting books to be released in 2017. This is in large part due to the fabulous production values created by the publisher Red Fox Press which released the book as part of its “C’est mon dada” series described partly as a “collection for visual poetry"—kudos to Red Fox for honoring the visual values of its projects (the book's 4 x 6 scale is perfectly-pitched!).  But, of course, the primary source of enchantment is Koppány whose visual works I’ve been following for years. Not only is he a talented Vispo artist but he also presents work that doesn’t shirk from the (overtly) political, an aspect that can get short shrift in others’ works.

It’s hard to pick highlights from the book as every one is spot on—not a false note exists in the entire collection. Nonetheless, I’ll present some obviously pleasurable moments:

“The Seer” humorously presents a lens for the “third eye” [insert pause for a chuckle]. “Anonymous” intrigues for its encouraged meditations on its significance: how Anonymous-es can be treated like trash or dirt, notwithstanding how Anonymous is one of the most famous poets to ever live…

Much wit elevates the works, e.g.

 How many of us have put on an extra stamp when we were unsure of how much postage is required! But “Insurance” is not just witty—one of Koppány’s strengths is mining the everyday for material such that the many of the work’s future viewers not only respond with pleasure but with empathy.

Some pieces also speak to the current times, regardless of whether Koppány may have intended to do so as he created them. Art often shows its effectiveness by transcending authorial intention.  Thus, “Walking” reminds of the refugee situation (sadly, it may require departure from one’s homeland for someone to manage to “walk” (versus metaphorically “limp” or “crawl”))—

Relatedly, “Heavy Accent” may be applied to the refugee and/or immigrant situations:

THE SEER also contains the four-part “VOYAGE.” I wrote about this series earlier in my blog Sit With Moi—do go to the link to share my pleasure in it! 

All in all, reading/viewing/meditating through Koppány’s latest collection is a deeply satisfying experience. Koppány well-manifests his book’s title, THE SEER.

*****

Eileen Tabios is the editor of Galatea Resurrects. Her 2017 poetry releases include two books, two booklets and four poetry chaps. More info at http://eileenrtabios.com