California-based artist Annie Vought is passionate about the written word and the impact that handwriting has within a historical context. Vought says, “A letter is physical confirmation of who we were at the moment it was written, or all we have left of a person or a time.” As we shift into modern day communication styles like emails, text messages, instant messages, and Twitter, the intimacy, personality, and visual beauty of penmanship slowly withers away.
As an artist, Vought works to preserve the tangible, handwritten letter. This collection of sculptures includes recreations of notes and letters that Vought has found, written, or received. She copies and enlarges the text onto a new page, and meticulously cuts out the negative space with an Exact-o knife. She preserves the handwriting and distinct grammar, stating that, “Penmanship, word choice, and spelling all contribute to possible narratives about who that person is and what they are like.”
The final results are these fragile, yet somehow strong, flowing lines of letters and words, sentences formed together by others and kept intact by Vought. She includes the rough edges of a torn out sheet of paper, the lines of a page, and even sketches included in the text. Adding to the intrigue of each piece is the bright light that shines through the sculptures, and casts interesting shadows of letters and words, dancing along the wall.
Annie Vought's website
via [Wicked Game]
