Object Poems

Jim Clinefelter
Portland, Oregon

Zwirn #7 — “10,000 Words”

Almost everyone is familiar with the old saw, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” It is generally assumed to have originated in either China or Japan. Not so — it is American in origin. According to The Phrase Finder (phrases.org.uk), one of the earliest uses was by Arthur Brisbane during a March, 1911, instructional talk given at the Syracuse Advertising Men’s Club: “Use a picture. It's worth a thousand words.”

The photos in this portfolio were taken within the last several years in Portland, Oregon, and Tokyo, Japan. My work is the product of years of study, exploration, and refinement. I work in the ever-expanding Modernist Tradition, and I am dedicated to the creation of Art that is clear, concise, and to the point. If my work is “about” anything, I would say that it boils down to the realization that the raw materials for Art are often right in front of us, and all we have to do is look, think, and put them to use.

Ten hand-processed gelatin-silver photographs, housed in a hand-assembled folder with an individually illustrated sleeve. Open edition. 2011.

$20 - This work is by special order only. Please contact gallery to confirm availability.

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About the Artist

Jim Clinefelter (born 1958, Akron, Ohio). Art Education: Self-taught.
Works in: Photography, Collage, Concrete Poetry. Also edits and publishes three art magazines —
Whitewall of Sound, Littlefields, and Zwirn.

Collections include the Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and International Center of Photography.