(CITATIONS)
Sarah Smith, Lisa Visser, Samantha Mogelonsky
November 8 - 29 , 2005
Reception: November 12, 6-8p


Sarah Smith, slap, scratch, stomp, sniff, sigh, woodcut and audio, 2005

(Citations) is a group show that seeks to explore the physicality of the written word and the ramifications of the literary tradition. Drawing their inspiration from art, literature and the world around them, Mogelonsky, Smith and Visser explore this topic through sculpture, installation and video.

This show began with a collaborative interest in examining literature and the concept of being well read, as akin to being educated and scholarly. As graduating students, the idea of reading for pleasure as well as to be educated according to a certain cannon was a concept initially questioned as well as indirectly referred to within the context of the exhibition.

While (Citations) looks at the overarching themes of communication and comprehension, each the collaborative efforts and individual works each adds a personalized aesthetic to the gallery space and exhibition theme. In the collaborative piece My hope lies… a quotation describing the physical presence of the word into phonetic sounds in an effort to break down the written word into something less comprehensible but more physically tangible. In their second collaborative effort, To, For, From, Love the artists examine their personal relationships to literary sources by including inscriptions from novels they have been given for specific reasons.

Samantha Mogelonsky, Digiti Hominum, found drawer, wax casts, 2005

Additionally, the artists have each applied their personal interests to the over-arching themes presented by (Citations). Mogelonsky is primarily interested in the physical engagement of the body within relation to the written word and textuality. This is interest is expressly shown in her sculptural piece Digiti Hominum as well as in her conceptual work, Grey’s Typography. In her installation Binary for Benjamin, Mogelonsky explores the deconstruction of language by reducing text to binary code.

Lisa Visser, Construct, printbased installation and sound, 2005

Closer is an exploration of Visser’s personal sphere of the supernatural and the natural. In it she takes inspiration from her daily walk by St. Mary’s cathedral and the desire to look up: the ritual of life and worship. The text introduces the viewer into a process of thought: to write down memories from everyday, reflections and observations. The combination of materials is meant to contrast hard and soft, cold and warm, smooth and rough.

Smith has chosen to explore literature in relation to communication and sound. She is interested in addressing issues of interaction from a personal perspective. In Edmund and the Wardrobe, Smith has juxtaposed footage of her mother and herself reading to each other. This work explores genetic hearing loss, from the practicalities of miscommunication to the underlying emotional tensions that exist. In Bedtime Stories, Smith takes inspiration from books that were read to her as a child. By altering these texts, Smith has created a concrete representation of her experiences. This allows the viewer to understand how the text relates to the sound, and the impact of a disability. The work, slap/ scratch/ stomp/ sniff/ sigh takes an intimate look at the relationship between sound and the human body. By juxtaposing a microscopic image with sound, Smith examines the integration of sensory information and how meaning is found. In all three of her pieces, Smith wants the viewer to understand how disability can interfere with communication and the appreciation of literature. In her work, Smith seeks to pinpoint and deconstruct experiences where meaning associated with text was lost.