Portfolio: Markings
Lines of script from a New England journal dated 1858-1863 provide flowing, curvilinear marks on paper. I have selected them for their interesting form – the fluid human strokes, the sepia tones and the personal history they imply. While suggestive of anecdotes and insights these selected strips of paper visually weave in and out of the painted surface. Through the use of collage, letters and words form fragmented records of the past that we cannot decipher but intrigue us nevertheless.
Fragments of these purposeful marks are transformed into a new visual language when edited and juxtaposed with color fields of gouache. Layered amongst washes of watercolor, the collage elements add depth while drawing the eye through the work. The linear repetition suggests a continued process leading us to another level of understanding and perception. As each line ‘speaks’ and interacts with the other, a new presence quietly develops and builds upon the remnants of previous generations. Repetitive lines of stitching reinforce the newly established merger of these elements and remind us of the persistence of time as well as the tenuous quality of life. Past and present meet in an intimate and delicate manner.
When groupings of three, six or nine individual works are hung as a unit a narration takes place from one work to the next not unlike the culmination of pages in a daily journal. Each work has its own individual presence yet together a richer experience is presented.
"Flowing, curvilinear marks are interrupted by horizontal stitching recalling the scribe's horizontal guidelines that support the bilinear text. The fluid, handmade strokes, soft sepia tones, and the personal history of the journal speak of hope, but also suggest anecdotes and insights - fragmented records of an indecipherable, but intriguing past. The faint image nestled in the background exemplifies the palimpsest effects." Kathrine Page Scribes of Hope II
