Dom Sylvester Houédard

Dom Sylvester Houédard, widely acknowledged as a foremost theorist and eminent global practitioner of concrete poetry, was also a Benedictine priest actively engaged in theological discourse. Recognized by his initials 'dsh' or 'the Dom,' he delved extensively into innovative realms of art, spirituality, and philosophy, often collaborating with prominent artists like Gustav Metzger, Yoko Ono, and John Cage. His creations, referred to as 'typestracts,' intricately weave language and are crafted using an Olivetti Lettera 22.  

Biography of Dom Sylvester Houédard

Dom Sylvester Houédard, born Pierre (Peter) Thomas Paul Jean Houédard in 1924, received his education at Jesus College, Oxford. From 1944 to 1947, he served in British Army Intelligence before joining the Benedictine Prinknash Abbey in Gloucestershire in 1949. Ordained as a priest in 1959, he adopted the religious name Sylvester.

Houédard, a member of the Order of Saint Benedict (OSB), played a pivotal role in introducing concrete poetry to Britain in 1961, delving into its connections with cybernetics and Wittgenstein's linguistic theory.

He served as the literary editor of the Jerusalem Bible from 1961 to 1966 and established the Gloucestershire Ode Construction Company in 1967.

In addition to his prolific publishing endeavors and lectures at prestigious institutions like the Royal College of Art and the Destruction in Art Symposium (DIAS), he exhibited his works in numerous galleries, including Kurimanzutto, Lisson Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum, and many more.

For the final decade of his life, he redirected his attention towards religion, serving as an infirmarian. Dom Sylvester Houédard passed away in 1992.