36. On the permanence of art
This post is an experiment in presenting two pieces back to back, without the interpretation section. I hope you have fun puzzling out shared themes :)
suggested reading method
To best savour this artwork, please take a moment to eliminate distractions. Consider minimizing all other windows on your computer; putting other devices (phone, tv etc) aside; taking a deep breath, to the full extent of your lung capacity; and focusing solely on the “artwork 1” and “artwork 2” sections.
Once you’ve processed those to your satisfaction, the rest of the post is optional reading, provided only for context about the artists.
artwork 1
Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
by William Shakespeare; first edition published in 1609.
artwork 2
“lovers’ carvings” by Bibio, (WXAXRXP Session) recorded for Warp Records’ 30th birthday in 2019.
Lyrics:
Lovers' names carved in walls
Overlap, start to merge
Some of them underneath
Maybe they appear in graveyards
Maybe they fade away
Weathered and overgrown
Time has told
Meaningful hidden words
Suddenly appear from the murk
Maybe they're telling us
That the end never was
Never will
The words have gone
But the meaning will never
Disappear from the wall
context
If your high school English education has done its job, William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) needs no introduction.
Bibio, real name Stephen Wilkinson, is a multi-instrumentalist who has been releasing albums since 2005. His work spans various genres including electronic, folk, hip-hop, and rock. This was my first post featuring a Bibio song.
What similarities and differences did you notice? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!