Sunday, November 2, 2008

MUTE AND PRESERVE

I am currently showing some of my work at the North Dam Mill. Here's the statement for the show.

MUTE AND PRESERVE::The act of writing rather than speaking is a means of muting language, silencing the spoken word and preserving it (so that it can be read both in the present and the future). Writing is an attempt to preserve meaning, however, written words lack the context that speech is provided. Words that are spoken are heard within their direct context while the written word is likely to be read in a drastically different context that will significantly alter its perceived meaning.

The language utilized in this body of work is familiar phrases removed from bodies of literature and historic accounts. These words have been muted and preserved through the act of writing, and my abridgement re-interprets them into an altogether new context. Through this process I am questioning how written language functions. Where and how is meaning made within the written word? Is meaning innately linked to words and phrases? When the written word is removed from its familiar context can it author new meaning?

The materials I use to work with these concepts directly reference the ideas of preservation, as salt is a preservative and the prints are created on purely archival materials. The paper is left white and color is absent, resulting in a muted aesthetic.

No comments: