Line Drawings
I am interested the natural patterns that emerge from repetition, structured systems, and carefully crafted marks. Our cities and built environments are constructed with grids and straight lines but our hands and bodies move with more fluidity. Marks are left behind that trace movement across surfaces; like scuffs on concrete sidewalks and edges that curve over time. These drawing are investigations into the processes of natural rhythms within constructed forms.
It is partly a durational practice - what happens when a body repeats the same movement over time? The paper records these repeated gestures. These drawings are also an exercise in following a specific set of rules. Each line mimics the imperfection of the line before and honors its mistakes.
First, a single grid line is drawn in graphite. Then in ink, freehand marks are made permanent. Repetition of this same gesture (a straight line) is carried out with a respect for the pre-existing marks. It’s an awareness of what is already here, or has happened, or is happening --- similar to empathy or love. By allowing patterns to emerge from this process, I seek to better understand how land creates waves in water, or the wind makes ripples in the sand, or how a staircase gets worn down with time.
