Brett Gorvy Is Not Only a Big Deal in the Art World but an Insta-Poet, Too

You probably know Brett Gorvy as being one half of uber gallery Levy Gorvy, but did you know that as well as being a pretty big deal in the art world, he also has a bit of a thing for poetry? Everyday he posts an image of an artwork on the gram and, while that is the same as 99.9% of the rest of the art world, with each post Mr Gorvy cleverly includes some prose to compliment the artwork, giving us something to think about as we go about our days. As an added bonus, sometimes he’ll also treat us to a photo in a Bella Freud sweat in honour of poets, accompanied by his super cute daschund Danny.

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– When your parent drags you out of bed for a family photo. – Shout out for the newly arrived sweater from @bella_freud. Loving it. #newprofilepic – #thelastpoets #dressedforwork #bellafreud #lastoftheromantics @danny_the_diva @tt_the_cool_ Thanks to @christine_nyc for the photo. #wordstoliveby

A post shared by @ brettgorvy on Feb 1, 2018 at 5:22am PST

Just yesterday, Gorvy posted a dreamy painting of a lady in the sky – confusedly titled Black Magic – by Magritte. Along with the stunning work of art, Gorvy added a poem, Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven by W. B. Yeats. 

“Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths

I would spread the cloths under your feet

But I, being poor, have only my dreams

I have spread my dreams under your feet

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” 

And thus, with just a few lines of text, Gorvy adds a touch of romance to an already incredibly gorgeous artwork. He also gives us a few moments to escape from the reality of life for a minute or two, so for that, we can only thank him. 

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– “Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths, Enwrought with golden and silver light, The blue and the dim and the dark cloths Of night and light and the half light, I would spread the cloths under your feet: But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” – – – W. B. YEATS, ‘Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven’ -✨🌍✨ – – – RENÉ MAGRITTE, ‘Black Magic’, 1945. Private Collection. @fineartsbelgium -🌓 – – #renemagritte #dreamreality #surrealism #daylight #clothsofheaven #headintheclouds #wbyeats #poemfortheday 🌹🌥⛅️🌤☀️🌘

A post shared by @ brettgorvy on May 2, 2020 at 1:54pm PDT

Sometimes, Gorvy goes one step further, and pairs an artwork with song lyrics instead. Take this Kerry James Marshall work for example, Slow Dance from 1992. For this one, Gorvy included lyrics to Leonard Cohen’s classic Dance Me To The End Of Love. 

“Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin

Dance me through the panic till I’m gathered safely in

Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove

Dance me to the end of love”

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– “Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove Dance me to the end of love Dance me to the end of love – – Oh, let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon Show me slowly what I only know the limits of Dance me to the end of love Dance me to the end of love – – Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above Dance me to the end of love Dance me to the end of love – – Dance me to the children who are asking to be born Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn Dance me to the end of love – – Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove Dance me to the end of love Dance me to the end of love.” – – – LEONARD COHEN, ‘Dance Me to the End of Love’ – 🖤🎻🔥 – – – – KERRY JAMES MARSHALL, ‘Slow Dance’, 1992-93. @smartmuseum – – 🌹💃🏾🕺🏽- – – #kerryjamesmarshall #stayathome #socialdistance #danceoflife #slowdance #homesweethome #privatedancer #poemforthenight 🌜✨🌏✨🌛

A post shared by @ brettgorvy on Apr 27, 2020 at 7:56pm PDT

Art always makes us feel better, and sometimes, visual art isn’t enough. Thanks to Brett Gorvy, we have an extra layer of comfort with the addition of poetry. We’ll finish with this accompaniment to Hilma af Klint’s stunning swans, with a poem by Mary Oliver.

“And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything? 

And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for? 

And have you changed your life?”

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– “Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river? – Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air — An armful of white blossoms, A perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned into the bondage of its wings; a snowbank, a bank of lilies, Biting the air with its black beak? – Did you hear it, fluting and whistling A shrill dark music — like the rain pelting the trees — like a waterfall – – Knifing down the black ledges? – And did you see it, finally, just under the clouds — A white cross Streaming across the sky, its feet Like black leaves, its wings Like the stretching light of the river? And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything? – And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for? – And have you changed your life?” – – – MARY OLIVER, ‘The Swan’ 🦢- – – A selection of works from the extraordinary ‘Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future’ at @guggenheim, until 23 April. -🔥🥀🖤 – Beginning with black and white swans, the artist explores dualities – light and dark, male and female, life and mortality – forces whose opposition and eventual resolution were central to existence. In alchemy, the swan symbolizes the union of opposites necessary for the Philosopher’s Stone, a legendary substance capable of turning base metals into gold. In af Klint’s paintings, opposing forces turn from conflict to unity. – – – – #swansong #hilmaafklint #spiritualinart #higherconsciousness #maryoliver #poemfortheday 🦢💎👑

A post shared by @ brettgorvy on Feb 20, 2019 at 9:04am PST

Text Lizzy Vartanian

Photo: Instagram, Sara Faith © Artlyst 2016