Sound Mess + Other Poems

Scott Helmes is an internationally recognized contemporary artist, poet, and writer best known for his visual poetry and abstract collages. Visual poetry is a form of poetry in which the formal arrangement of letters and words is as essential in conveying the intended meaning as more conventional elements of the poem, such as word meaning, rhythm, meter, and rhyming schemes. Helmes began writing experimental poetry and producing prints, drawings, collages, and mail art in 1972. His work is informed by the innovations of the avant-garde Fluxus collective, an international alliance of artists working in the 1960s and '70s whose playful and unconventional forms of poetry expanded the boundaries of this literary art form. Since then, Helmes has emerged as an important figure among visual poets, producing work in a variety of forms, including found object collage, mathematical poetry, and rubber-stamped poetry. His editioned work includes lithographs, relief prints, typeset designs, and digital prints.