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A Certain Slant of Light

A Certain Slant of Light

"There is a certain slant of light on winter afternoons" - Emily Dickinson

Dickinson's famously rigid meter and rhyme scheme seemed quaint and almost silly to me as a young man. Now, it strikes me as an essential constraint borrowed from the religious hymnal traditions she would brilliantly critique. Unlike Whitman, who dispensed with rhyme and meter almost entirely, Dickinson’s work is sharpened by it, focused like a laser beam on her ubiquitous themes: eternity and death, anguish and irreverence, desire and despair.

The illustration depicts the stark light of late afternoon, described in its absences through shadows of trees that sharpen to cathedral pipes. The sunlight behind her takes the form of a rose window, made up of a collection of Dickinson’s own poetry.

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Any 3 prints for $48 (regularly $72)
Code: 3PRINTS
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• 11x14 inch art print with white border 
• Premium, fine art paper made in New York 
• Elegant eggshell finish
• Ships in a a rigid, flat mailer. No need to unroll! 
• Fits into standard 11x14 frames (or a 16x20 frame matted to 11x14) 

Custom sizes available HERE

$ 24.00

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About Us

Obvious State is a creative studio and independent press founded by Nichole and Evan Robertson in 2011. We make bold, conceptual art that makes you think again.

In the age of clickbait, infotainment, and overstimulation, slow thought has become a luxury. Our work exists to change that. Every piece is handcrafted by Evan — art and language that provoke thought, inspire curiosity, and make the ideas that have always mattered feel urgent again.

Our books and prints are available in our shop and in bookstores and boutiques nationwide.

Our work has been featured at The Folger Shakespeare Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Writers Museum, The Emily Dickinson Museum, The Library of Congress, The Getty Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art and more.