ASEMIC WRITING

Asemic writing is a form of writing that is open- semantic, wordless and withoyt conventionally understood meaning. It’s non-specificity means that the reader inferrs their own meaning and authorial intent is incidental to the process. The practice of asemic writing fuses text and image but then dispenses with the rigors of formal script by encouraging arbitary and subjective interpretations. In fact the very intention of making no sense in the usual ways, is central to the practice.The text may be understood symbolism inferred and meanings collaboratively explored, in which case the ‘reader’ is the co-creator of the work thus usurping the tryanny of the artist
Asemic or pansemic writing originated in the late 1990’s as part of the visual poetry movement where practicioners explo/author.re sub-verbal and sub-letteral forms of writing. It is practiced as an intentional art/poetry practice that allows the poet to move byond words and the artist to switch off the brain and to indulge only gesture. It can often be practiced while listening to music.
Throughout 2022 and as an artist in residence at the Guesthouse Cork, I facilitated regular practice sessions and led a walk in workshop/Asemic session below are some examples of my experiments in Pansemic/Asemic writing.