This broadside was a “Switcheroo” for an annual Broadsided Press feature, where writers create works in response to a piece of visual art. Poet Philip Schaefer and Painter Maura Cunningham were the creators of this broadside. As can be inferred, this broadside features a poem and a painting. Though it could be viewed as a poster, this work of art is defined as a broadside for multiple reasons.

The title of the poem could be used to argue the broadside is a poster. The title, “Disappear,” uses the actual painting as a baseline. Unlike the poem, it sits on top of the painting rather than within it. The title’s scale is also larger and completely capitalized, making it stand out as a sort of title. However, its position is in the upper left-hand corner, while the poem is centered on the paper. The eye is naturally more drawn to the poem and artwork than the poems title because of this arrangement.

This broadside was a “Switcheroo” for a annual Broadsided Press feature. Poet Philip Schaefer and Painter Maura Cunningham were the creators of this broadside.

One could also argue that the broadside is a poster because the scale of the sheet of paper is unintelligible, and the scale of the typeface does not seem to be display type, but of a more average size. This is in itself, however, acts as a way to draw people in to look at the broadsides content.

The prime reason this acts as a broadside rather than a poster is because of the total immersion taking place between the painting and the text. The poem is titled “Disappear” and when observing the kerning, or slight leaning of the text downwards, it almost seems as if the text is going to disappear behind the painting. Additionally it mentions a bird stretching its wings in the poem, and the shape that the text makes could resemble a bird’s outstretched wing. The painting and the poem act in accord with one another to make both their ideas equally important to the artwork as a whole, thus making it a broadside.