The Exquisite Corpse will Drink the Young Wine

I think every artist should use Exquisite Corpse to get their juices flowing (creative ones that is).

Its a game that can be played with words or images. It is thought to reveal the collective unconscious of the group.

Exquisite Corpse is a collaborative poetry game that traces its roots to the Parisian Surrealist Movement. The name "Exquisite Corpse" comes from a line of poetry created while playing the game: "The exquisite corpse will drink the young wine." Exquisite Corpse is played by two or more people, each of whom writes a few words on a sheet of paper, folds the paper to conceal part of it, and passes it on to the next player for his or her contribution. You can make up rules if you wish, and there are various ways to play. Its a great way to be creative with your buddies! I have had a blast countless times with Exquisite Corpse drawings and poems.

Exquisite corpse drawings (prints, paintings, etc.) work the same way as the poems. Draw something, cover or fold over most of the image and pass it on. The next person adds on to what you created (without knowing what it is). The results are phantasmagoric!

(click to enlarge)

As an example, the following is an Exquisite Corpse composed by the intrepid Academy staff using the sentence construction Adjective, Noun, Verb, Adjective, Noun:

Slung trousers melt in a roseate box.
A broken calendar oscillates like sunny tin.
The craven linden growls swimmingly. Blowfish.
A glittering roof slaps at crazy ephemera.

I'm always down for an exquisite corpse so if you wanna try one, hit me up!

-Kat