I occupy two highly improbable worlds," says Mr Max Wallis - nursing a pint in an East London pub, a few days after our coastal shoot. "However, I'm in a lovely position where people are interested in both." A published poet-come-model, the 23-year-old is on a mission. Having released his first critically acclaimed poetry collection Modern Love, he wants to modernise the medium with his latest project - filmed poems inspired by modelling.
"The traditional method of publishing is not fast enough for me,"
he says.
"I want to forge my own future."
I like this idea that written poetry is not immediate enough and that further visualisation is needed. There is definitely a global move from printed text to the online video, from reading to watching and although there should always be a place for written word, poetry needs to expand and be explored in different mediums in order to stay current. A film poem that can be watched on youtube or a blog could reach more people than would originally go out and buy a poetry book.
Completing his first work aged eight (on the contentious subject of mangetout), the London-based wordsmith wrote tirelessly, despite living among a family of scientists. "My grandad invented the wires for Cern," he offers, absentmindedly. Heading to Manchester University to study biology - which he excelled at - he soon swapped for a creative writing Masters, and signed up to a young poet scheme at the Barbican in London. After showing some poems to his mentor, Modern Love was published in 2011 by flipped eye. It was shortlisted for the Polari First Book Prize in 2012.
With the collection charting a modern sex- and text-filled love affair, he wanted his work to be up to the minute from day one. "Someone said I used language that didn't actually exist 10 years ago," he says of his insightful collection.
"Writers are scared of putting in modern elements, but if you're writing about now - you have to mention things like mobile phones."Max Willis is really committed to being honest, his poetry does not romanticise the mess of modern love, how interaction has been so hugely changed by mobile phones and snap chat. Now you can always contact someone or not, people become close before even meeting again because of texts. Although technology can help relationships, I think it also really overcomplicates blossoming relationships, we are the first generation that have to cope with these problems and I think it is great how Max Wallis connects with his readers through honest exploration of this.
Despite poetry being his first passion, modelling has been a welcome addition to his career. After friends sent in his picture, he was signed up by agencies such as Q in New York and Independent Men in Milan. He completed his first season on the catwalks in Paris earlier this year and has a major billboard campaign dropping this spring. Instead of it being a distraction, Mr Wallis has used this contrasting arena as a foil for his poems. "Even in modelling there's poetry. A review for a show I saw referred to things like the 'origami of the dresses'. It's interesting to look at the concealment of language," he says. When pitching his concept for sponsoring from the Arts Council, he knew he was on to something and had a ready bank of material to utilise. "I'm interesting at the moment because they haven't read poetry about modelling. I knew this couple - the girl was a model. They broke up, the girl skyrocketed, and she was on every surface in New York, and the guy had to see that. The poems are about that - falling in love in this ridiculous world."
This story is pretty sad, just imagine seeing that girl's face pasted everywhere, unable to move on. When I read this I just imagine this man surrounded by images of this woman, feeling like everyone had a piece of her but him. It interests me that this human experience is a new one, something like that could never of happened before the internet, it pleases me that in thousands of years of humans new experiences are created.
By insisting his new work be on a digital platform,
Mr Wallis wants to help build an alternative method of consuming poetry.
He doesn't question the quality of contemporary work, but thinks it can be published faster, and heard by more people. "The biggest growth of posting literature online is in poetry.
People like poetry and read it but it's seen as niche and dry - so I'm interested in how you get it wet! How do you get Joe Bloggs involved? I'm purposely not going through normal channels. I'm interested in how you attack new people... so to speak."
Poetry can be seen as a dated form of expression, yet, as Mr Wallis points out, it is an ideal literary form in a world obsessed with brevity. "You're dealing with people who scroll through Facebook feeds. No one has time any more. Poetry is just bite-size chunks, and with a 30-second video [like "As in Those Slow Moments", above], someone can open it, and as they cogitate whether to close it, it's already half way through." Getting people to experience poems without even realising it? You have to admire his desire.
THIS is what I'm interested in, creating an 'alternative method of consuming poetry' opening up the written word and making it more approachable. People are more and more interested in visual media, they want to watch, they want to be entertained, the written word is no where interactive enough. Our generation have become skilled in multi-tasking, with several tabs open at all times, and so it is more difficult than ever to focus on one thing. Wallis is acutely aware of this and so feeds this brief attention span by feeding these small poetic moments into people news feeds, before they know it they have experienced something greater than a vine of a cat sleeping. Max Wallis' aim is a noble one, what would the world be like if our feeds were full of film poems and not pointless vines.
With the likes of Harper's Bazaar publishing his videos - "Time Zones Apart" is online now - and his written work receiving plaudits from Faber favourite Mr Sam Riviere and more, Mr Wallis has successfully piqued the interest of both the fashion and literary worlds.
As he finishes his drink, he ponders the broader benefits of his work. It becomes clear that the exposure one associates with modelling undoubtedly spurs on his writing. "It'd be lovely to have about 85 poems in all different markets. Then you've got yourself appearing all around the globe." Considering the campaign he has coming out in spring - whether it's billboards or poetry videos - one feels he'll enjoy attention in whichever world he chooses.
black words are my notes
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