Review: On We Go

Poetry as a genre sings out for accompanying artwork and the superlative treatment a hardcover book affords, however budget constraints mean that this level of production is rarely to be found outside of limited-edition semi-hand-crafted books. What a joy, then, to discover On We Go which is an exquisitely produced hardback collection with 26 watercolour paintings and 21 poems printed on thick, creamy paper, small enough to comfortably hold in one hand.

The book is a result of a collaboration between artist Catherine Bagnall and poet Jane Sayle. Catherine Bagnall is an internationally recognised artist whose practice involves performance and its intersection with dress. Jane Sayle has a background in art writing and reviewing; this is her first book of poetry. She lived in Europe and California before returning to New Zealand in 2019. On We Go was developed through email conversations when the two were living on different sides of the world.

The artwork is by turns whimsical, playful, but also unsettling in the manner of fairytales, where much is hidden and nothing is quite as it seems. Each painting has the dreamlike quality of a masquerade. By way of example, at first glance the cover artwork, Lightness, depicts two dresses with accompanying petticoats (but apparently no one wearing them) and an upside-down tree.

However, on closer examination two pairs of hairy legs (or are they tree trunks?) are revealed poking out the bottom of each dress. The right-hand dress is adorned with what could be a rabbit coat, complete with ears, face and mouth, or could actually be a rabbit. A tiny glimpse of a hand (or paw?) and sleeve (or is it?) curves around and into the rabbit’s mouth. The unusual placement of the tree, descending from the sky, adds to the mystery, and the two figures appear to be standing in a river that also contains a small boat or dish. The overall effect is enchanting (and the painting also continues onto the back cover).

Books on the environment and ecological thinking have been popular since the 1960s, when Rachel Carson released her seminal work Silent Spring. Many decades on, concerns about environment degradation are more urgent than ever, and there is increasing recognition of just how much we as human beings need the natural world to maintain our wellbeing. In poems such as Botanical, 360 degrees and Superstructure, On We Go joins the dialogue.

The language employed is beautiful and the poems flow as easily as the branches of rivers or the trees swaying in the twilight that they describe. I love the gentle lyricism of the short poem What bird is that?:

Between winds

soft sunshine

strands of lemon lichen

across a satin-grey rock bank

and the smell of blackberry

living for the moment

inside the quiet air

of the nameless day

The poetry in On We Go is at its very best in writing that celebrates the natural world and the joy, solace and sense of mystery it can bring. At times I found myself waiting for deeper insights, the kind that phenomenal poetry can deliver, often in the final lines, arriving like a coup de grace. This quality is evident in these perfect lines from Going back:

Though we were long gone

all our coats were hanging

on hooks in the hall

How things wait

for us to come back

how they mutely love us

as they fade

The way the artwork and poetry in On We Go speak back and forth to each other, creating an ongoing and enriching dialogue, is among the collection’s chief pleasures. The artwork does far more than illustrate the text, rather the two mediums bounce off each other creating a wildly joyful and exuberant homage to nature. This is a tiny volume to be kept, read, re-read and treasured.

Reviewed by Kiri Piahana-Wong