Transportation

intent

I liked the idea of playing on the word ‘transportation’ both as a physical movement but also less tangible movements through time, imagination or memory. I loved the repetitive and tactile rhythm of typing - in some way it seemed similar to going back and forth to me. It reminded me of the same kind of action as those first drawings at the beginning of the semester. When you reach the end of a line you have to physically move the paper and the machine down and back to the beginning in order to continue typing.

I received such negative feedback about the piece during the critique that I lost my confidence and momentum. I stopped to puzzle out what was going on - why such the strong response?

Through a few experiments and iterations I hit upon this idea of copying one of my favorite drawings on a color laser copier. I cut the sections out flipping and rotating them to create one long line down the gallery wall. They are wheat pasted to the wall. The response to even just this much of the work has been overwhelmingly positive. It looks both map-like and geological. I think they create a well defined background for the text that is visually interesting enough that perhaps it removes any frustration of illegibility. I am beginning to install my typed lists, bits of facts and data layered onto the copied drawings.

Before installation I also experimented with handwriting in graphite. The method that I have arrived at is to keep all of the ‘data and facts’ in type and layer the more emotional memories and responses between the undulating lines in handwritten graphite. I look forward to what the response might be.

It is nice to have a safe, low conflict but public area to play within.

deinstallation

I will have to make sure this work is carefully documented as it will be destroyed during deinstallation. I do, however, have my original drawing still so that I can recreate the work if I so desire. I think I can envision this piece in the format of an artbook.