Suffering for his art
by Andrew Lees
Cameron
Fuller is hardly a man to mince words.
So it’s fitting that Suffering for the Art, his winning entry in UniSA News’ poetry competition, deals with that most underexposed social dilemma – male stereotypes.
Fuller said he delved deep to get the emotion and tone just right. “Being a student, and being creative, I’ve definitely noticed the male stereotyped ideal doesn’t nurture creativity,” said Fuller, who is studying for Honours in Professional Writing and Communication.
“I tried to set up a contrast between the buff, stereotyped boy and the student opposing it. I also tried to fit a bit of a punchline in the end to trump the old stereotype a bit,” he said.
But poetry has always been so much more than inner angst made manifest, and Fuller said he’s explored the external just as much as the internal in the five years he’s been writing.
“I like poetry that has a social commentary rather than simply inner emotions,” he said.
“I think poets ought to engage with society – most poets are lefties, and there’s so much stuff going on in the world at the moment. How can you not tap in to that, things like Iraq and the state of politics?”
But like every good poet, Fuller is as interested in the mechanics of language as the emotion it evokes – a small obsession he describes as “probably dangerous”.
“Originally, my poetry was about trying to express ideas that are sometimes easier to write than to verbalise. But what I do now is play around with language and ideas and imagery.
“It’s become more about creativity than self expression, but it’s probably dangerous to enjoy playing with language too much.”
Fuller describes himself as being on “the wrong side of 30” and started off writing song lyrics before he realised he was a bassist and switched to poetry.
Suffering for the art
He spends all morning pushing, pulling, squeezing.
His abs, pecs and glutes bristle from years in a gym.
His veins nearly pop through his neck.
He’s an artist.
Shaping an image from the mind to the mirror
is a life’s work. Pleased with his product,
he gives his reflection a high-five.
I spend all morning reading, writing, thinking.
My brain cells are buffed from years in libraries.
My eyes can lift the heaviest words.
I’m an artist.
Exploring the far reaches of the mind
is a life’s work.
Within my skin, I’m building things
designed to outlast the body.
Are you a dab hand at pithy cartoons or does the muse move you to write perfect poetry?
We want to highlight the talents of UniSA poets and cartoonists in these pages. Apart from the joy of being “published” the best poet and cartoonist will win a $50 book voucher. Competition closes on August18 2005 and winners will be published in the October edition of Students@UniSA.
Entries can be sent via email to unisanews@unisa.edu.au or by post to Students@UniSA Competitions, 100 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000. Please provide contact details, including your student ID, with your entry.