Through the use of negative space, shapes and immediately visible messages can emerge in a sea of swirling text.
The term “word mosaics” was thrown around in early discussions about this technique. It feels particularly appropriate for these pieces that use swatches of color to define easily-recognizable shapes and symbols.
Infinitely adaptable to any quote or source of text, these solid text pieces appear as texture from afar—almost like static noise on a television. The viewer sees the words as they come closer, but the context may not be immediately recognizable. It forces the eye to linger and appreciate the content, as the mystery unfolds.
“Restorations” take old, often unfinished drawings and breathe new life into them, all by simply surrounding them with complimentary text.
Similar to Restorations, these pieces repurpose snippets from newspapers, magazines, and catalogues, then pairs them with complimentary text.
Shown in Salem, MA from 2011 to 2014, “The Twist” was an exploration of classic pop, rock, and R&B songs through illustration and collage. These pieces are primarily composed of recycled materials, using ballpoint pen.
My senior thesis exhibition at Wesleyan University confronted anxiety about “impending adulthood” through a paper doll self-portrait, including eight different outfits that represented career goals, current reality, and absurd possibilities.
An accompanying installation connected childhood nostalgia to “adult” concepts of domesticity and professionalism, allowing viewers to color paper doll t-shirts at a desk and hang them on an adjacent clothesline.
