Effacement

Janine Hospes writes a poem on the work ‘Effacement’ by Amie Dicke.

In her work entitled ‘Effacement’ (2008) Amie Dicke has drenched a copy of Numéro magazine in red wine and scratched the surface, accidentally-on-purpose revealing another face behind the face portrayed on the cover of the magazine. It’s worth mentioning that Numéro magazine was founded by French editor Elisabeth Djian who ‘wanted to create this magazine for an intelligent, smart woman who wants to read about art, design, music: not about stupidity – creams that take away wrinkles, you know, which is stupid’ because she ‘was bored with magazines that told me how to seduce a man’. Djian has also mentioned that ‘she loves seeing girls without make-up and women with wrinkles’. These statements are rather ironic considering the fact that the women who have appeared on the cover of Numéro magazine are covered in make-up, are all wrinkle-free and strike seductive, alluring poses.

My poem “Effacement” is inspired by Amie Dicke’s work of art.

Effacement

You drench me
scratch at me
tear at the skin,
paper thin
I’m crumbling
you try to uncover
what’s hidden within

another face
and another
seems like nothing remains
in place
it wrinkles
then disintegrates

You encounter me
look at me
face me
never speak to me
I’m crumbling,
suffering
but not letting you in
on
what’s hidden within

Quotes from Campbell, Matthew. “Elisabeth Djian Interview.” The Sunday Times 25 May 2008.

Amber Editor Janine Hospes graduated from Radboud University Nijmegen with a thesis on the representation of women in nineteenth and twentieth century British novels.