Out of the Frame began as a lockdown project and is Joe Treasure’s first collection of poems.
A performance of poems, richly illustrated with famous paintings. Art from six centuries is brought dramatically to life through the imagined voices of the artists and the figures in their pictures.
Hear the thoughts of a trio of disdainful goddesses, a couple of WWI veterans (one British, one German), a woman hurrying to meet her lover in 19th century Paris, the bewildered wife of a medieval Italian merchant and a modern couple falling out over a picture in a gallery.
The poem ‘Yes Paris‘, inspired by Gwen John’s portrait of Chloë Broughton-Leigh, was shortlisted in 2021 for the Bridport Poetry Prize.
The book is now available. To purchase a copy, contact Joe Treasure via the contact form.
The cover depicts the painting Chaim Soutine by Amedeo Modigliani, courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington.
Performances:
The poems were performed at the Wandsworth Arts Fringe in 2022 and 2023. Two performances were scheduled for 2024:
20 February 2024, 7.30pm at the Friends of the Highgate Library, London (fohl.org.uk). For more details, download the poster.
23 February 2024, 6.30pm as part of the Keble Arts Festival, Oxford.
Praise from previous audiences:
“What a wonderful presentation. Thank you for enriching our lives” (Jennifer)
“Fabulous!” (Mike)
“A sophisticated artistic adventure” (Mary-Margaret)
“So creative” (Sharon)
“Still feeling transported” (Judie)
“Out of the frame and into a fairyland of pictures and words. I loved this!” (Nicoline)
“What an inventive, witty and entertaining way of discovering paintings through poetry” (Adam)