Series: “GO GO BOY TRIPTYCH.” by Zack Orsborn

“GO GO BOY TRIPTYCH” is a collage poem triptych made from collage material, oil pastel, typewriter ribbon ink, and three poems written at three starkly different periods in the artist’s life.

A triptych is a work of art that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works.

“The first poem recounts a dream I had of performing as a go-go boy–an actual fantasy of mine—despite inhabiting a body that defies conventional standards of gay go-go boy culture. The dream morphs into a nightmare as the music accelerates, trapping me on the go-go box, condemned to dance for eternity.

The second poem bridges the subconscious to reality, carrying forward the wing motif from the first piece. Here, my body is stripped off its dreamlike qualities and distilled into elemental forces of nature: earth, wind, fire, and water. This transformation was inspired by Giovanni di Paolo's painting The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise (1445).

The third and most minimalist poem captures a spiritual rebirth. In it, I reconcile subconscious fantasies with logical rationale, embracing both as integral parts of my identity, ultimately finding a sense of wholeness.”

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Zack Orsborn is a writer, musician, and visual artist living in Memphis, Tennessee. His work has been featured in the Memphis Museum of Art and Science as part of the Memphis LGBTQ History Exhibition, Benjamin L. Hooks Central Public Library, Ugly Art. Co. Gallery, The Medicine Factory, and Off the Wall Arts. He was selected as one of the artists in the Movable Arts Collection by the Urban Arts Commission in 2024. His visual art and writing have been published in The Pinch, Current Magazine, Sauna Magazine, Focus Magazine, and Stone Pacific Magazine. He has written and self-published three novels, a short story collection, and an interactive chapbook. He released his debut album, TOUGH CASE, in 2024. View more of his work at www.zackorsbornart.com.