Incantations

Some time ago I purchased antique bronze façade letters that had simple, beautiful form and a rustic patina. I treated the letters as subjects in a still-life, viewed in three-dimensional space under real lighting conditions. I found more samples of three-dimensional letters and made a series of drawings, called Incantations. They are compositions, not based on language, but on the aesthetic arrangement of letterforms. It's a kind of visual poetry, the trick being to create a word that is both beautiful to see and pleasant to say, and that makes a sort of sense in the context of its presentation.

Each of these works is in silverpoint on prepared paper. Some are tinted with white casein to increase contrast and dimensionality.

Main page