Voyaging out in the community to photograph graffiti is part of building that idea pile. It allows me to see text and language in novel and interesting contexts. Some artists choose to conceal the meaning of their lettering. Even though I can't "read" the writing below, the fact that it is repeated almost identically line after line leads me to believe that the artist is indeed concealing a "message." The last line may contain a signature -- the exclamation points are interesting as well. The commercial signs below with their terse communications are a fascinating contrast to the sprawling, space-consuming letter forms above that fill the glass window.
Contrast that type of graffiti writing with this one, where the artist definitely wants the viewer to read the message and is less concerned with the artistic merit of how the message is created.
Even this building, with its worn away sign, hints at advertising something but certainly doesn't explain what. Doesn't it intrigue your imagination even more to read just a portion of the original sign? Doesn't it seem to have more to say about its culture and surroundings because it is worn away, neglected and its original message indecipherable? The partial message suggests the passage of time and cultural change, subjects which could also inform my own work, since I often wonder what the next evolution will be in language, particularly with the new "text message" language that is evolving.
Looking at your last photo reminded me of a book of photos, Walls, by Deidi von Schaewen. I quote from the dust jacket, "Her walls are not enclosing walls but public spaces. Most were used for commercial information and publicity campaigns. But time and the elements have transformed their original messages; their graphic designs, colors, and textures and the concept of "walls as surfaces" have made them a new form of art." This book might be worth a look, if you can find it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the postcard. I'm glad that your opening was such a success.
Joanne
Fascinating thoughts and prelim work.
ReplyDeleteOn "the continuum between abstraction and readability" - consider the oral/aural form of this, eg having a "conversaton" with someone who speaks another language, in which a lot of the communication is in the tone of voice and rhythm of the utterance, rather than the understandability of the actual words.
ReplyDeleteAnd on letterforms and writing, do have a look at the work of Xu Bing, especially his "Book of the Sky", where he invented a nonsense form of Chinese! Now he's taking English words and making them look like Chinese characters -- the other side of the coin from what you're doing, I think.