Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

“Artist and Model” by Irving Feldman is a complex exploration of the relationship between the creator and the subject. The poem is presented in two major parts, "The Abduction" and "The Rape", each containing a series of individual sections. Feldman uses vivid imagery and a multi-layered narrative to delve into the psychological and artistic dynamics of this relationship.

Part One: The Abduction

1. Carefully, he set an easel out, a page (white)

The poem begins with the artist setting up his easel and canvas, transforming the setting into a cave-like space. The model is "seized, captured" beyond the plane, while the artist remains "in a motley of loss." Feldman portrays the artist as a "sick animal, credulous sly, monkey pensive," embodying a mix of emotions and traits. The model becomes a symbol pointing mysteriously outward, indicating her essence beyond the constraints of the artistic environment.

2. She

In this section, the model is presented as a pure, central form, both surface and substance. Her "continuous simulacra" embody her form, rising and expanding outward. Feldman contrasts her presence in the cave with her imagined existence beyond it, suggesting her essence lies "in the forest there on all the trees at once dazzled like a wind."

3. And does she think?

Feldman questions whether the model has thoughts independent of her body's form. Her rhythm is a "rhythm of becomings," an inward transformation that the artist translates into "opportunities, discovers answers, landfalls, clues." The artist finds traces of her in "armpits and legpit," where he leaves "a splotch, trickle of hair: three sapient beards."

4. Monkeyshines

The artist is frustrated by the model's elusiveness, as she "eludes, confuses him." He searches under "a buttock, along a thigh, near ear," pursuing a secret that "doesn't exist." He embarks on a quest to capture her essence, followed by "spoor of anecdotes, vestigia, mask-droppings."

5. He has his way, his trade—and this, his maker

The artist acknowledges his grotesque nature, embarking on a "festinate fury" to find a "total perspective." He seeks to create beyond the work, to repossess an innocence that the model represents. However, he recognizes his limits, as he struggles to "create beyond the work her, her garden without labor."

6. He will set her to work

In this section, the artist instructs the model to pose, and she accommodates, "putting on the masks." Her flesh welcomes him, and she cradles her breast upon his request, asking, "Like so?" The artist remains unsatisfied, attempting to capture her inner essence through her outward form.

7. As thought will, his haunts the depths, groundswell

The artist seeks the "monstrous shape" of the model's other self. He "trawls his net of lines," hunting for the "sunken old Venus," trying to reach beyond the surface to a hidden brilliance. The quest is challenging, as he tries to reconcile her "world" with his artistic vision.

8. Monkey Art  

The artist recognizes that imitation requires "man's sinew, man's breath," and that art relies on "foreshortening of the total perspective." He refines the model's form into "ovoids such and such," but struggles to capture the essence, wondering if "a navel" is "mountains on the moon."

9. His Monologue

The artist acknowledges the "cheap tricks" and conventions of his art, noting the "scum and froth of convention." He describes the model as "reposing, ungraspable," outside the limits of his artistic plane. Despite this, he remains fixated on capturing her essence.

10. He Speaks of Her Accommodations  

The artist seeks a passage "outward into the garden," where "terror surrendered, the soul reverts in a shower of seed." The model presents salvations and appearances, providing clues to "the lucky hole-in-One." The artist wants to transform her into a symbol of transcendence.

Part Two: The Rape

11. With passage of the voice, the thing evoked

The artist cannot capture the model fully, as "all magic fails" and the metaphor collapses. He attempts to "deposit his inwardness" and make her "soulful," but ends up "daub[ing] her every, her most minute, apparition with monkey ink."

12. After  

The poem concludes with the artist realizing that "only ink is, a sea of sighs and signs." He tries to create another line, seeking a "vestige of the power gone," but ultimately finds himself drawn back into the cave. The model remains "regnant, entire," and he is left in her powerful repose.

Conclusion

In “Artist and Model”, Irving Feldman presents a richly layered exploration of the relationship between the creator and the subject. The artist seeks to capture the model's essence but is ultimately frustrated by the limits of his craft. The poem touches on themes of obsession, control, and the elusive nature of artistic creation. Feldman's vivid imagery and multi-part structure invite readers to reflect on the psychological and emotional dimensions of this creative dynamic, offering a nuanced critique of the power imbalance inherent in the artist-model relationship.

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