“Poem Prints is a collection of nine screen prints on paper by artist John Giorno. Each individual print is square in shape, measuring fourteen by fourteen inches. Each print is bordered by a thin white wooden frame, less than half an inch in thickness. The nine framed prints are arranged in a square grid made up of three rows and three columns when displayed on the gallery wall. The edge of the frames line up perfectly, both vertically and horizontally, with around two inches of space separating them from one another. Taken altogether, the nine prints create a three-and-a-half-foot tall square arrangement of closely clustered and rigidly aligned white framed text-based artworks. Each of the screen prints is blazoned with varying lines of English-language text rendered in a billboard-like composition. The typeface chosen by the artist features long and extended letterforms that make the phrases and sentences within each of the frames easy to read at a distance. The text varies in size and placement within each square. Some words are printed large for emphasis, covering over two thirds of the square at times, while some lines of text feature several smaller words that complete a phrase or sentence. The prints also differ when it comes to the colors used in their printing process. For example, the square at the very center of the composition reads: “Life is a killer.” It has a golden background, with the word “Life” printed in black. This first word dominates the square because of its large size. It extends the entire width of the square and three quarters down the length. The bottom quarter of the square is taken up by “is a killer,” printed in red. When compared to “Life,” These three words, “is a killer” are much smaller in order to fit within the remaining space of the square The bright rainbow of colors chosen for the lettering and backgrounds, coupled with the declarations of each of the prints, make many of them appear and read like colorful advertisements. Starting on the top row, in the upper left, the top three prints read: That gun’s got blood in its hole Sugar alcohol meat & cigarettes It’s worse than I thought The middle row, starting on the left, the middle three prints read: We gave a party for the gods and the gods all came Life is a killer I’m waiting in line with my groceries and I want to get away without incident The bottommost row, starting on the left, the final three prints read: Nothing recedes like success I don’t need it I don’t want it and you cheated me out of it Put your ear to stone and open your heart to the sky “