Angkor Wat: poetry and photography

by luke kurtis

In 1963, Allen Ginsberg traveled to Cambodia and visited the ancient Khmer temples. He wrote "Angkor Wat," an eponymous poem about the temple complex. It was a very different time: pre-Vietnam War, pre-Khmer Rouge, and before the bustling tourism trade that is now the lifeblood of Siem Reap. Yet the Angkor Wat temples themselves remain a unique source of inspiration for poets and photographers who travel there from all over the world.

Over half a century later, Angkor Wat by luke kurtis is both the artist's homage to Ginsberg's text as well a celebration of his own pilgrimages to the ancient city. Published in 1968, Ginsberg's Angkor Wat book was a single long poem accompanied by photographs by Alexandra Lawrence. kurtis's book is a suite of poems paired with his original photography. Chronicling the poet's own travels where he explored mythical stories and experienced mystical visions, kurtis's poems take you on a tour of Angkor Wat (and beyond) unlike any other and tell the story of one American poet deepening his Buddhist spirituality.

236 pages, Paperback

Published August 4, 2017

About the author

luke kurtis is an interdisciplinary artist focusing on the intersection of visuals, text, and tech. Ideas are the root of his work, forgoing any signature style in favor of conceptually-driven aesthetics and design. Select books include Angkor Wat and exam(i)nation, both part of an ongoing series that combines photography, writing, and design. His albums of experimental music include obscure mechanics and electronic quartets. He also makes short films, including the woods are watching and convergence, both documenting his installation art projects of the same names. His studio, bd-studios.com, publishes work both by himself and other artists and writers, and he is the co-founder of New Lit Salon Press. He lives and works in New York City’s Greenwich Village.