Existing comment:
JULIA BLOOM
February 4, 2021
Compressed charcoal on manual typewriter text on paper,
12 x 9 in.
Courtesy of the artist and Addison/Ripley Fine Art
ARTIST STATEMENT
The pandemic and demands for social justice exploded in the spring and summer of 2020 and greatly influenced my life and work. While sheltering in place, I retreated into the nostalgia of my youth and began typing letters using a vintage Royal Quiet Deluxe manual typewriter. In time, I incorporated the typewritten pages into my art practice. Typing repeated phrases about coronavirus, social distancing, social justice, and human interaction led me to type more personal stream of consciousness diary entries -- all the disruptive emotions I was feeling in the present tense, yet partially assuaged by a soundtrack of clacking keys from a much more soothing, bygone era.
Using compressed charcoal, I began to draw bold shapes on my typewritten pages that partially redacted my texts. These charcoal shapes and stains are like protective clouds that block and screen some of my most intense, intimate thoughts and feelings. This work highlights a powerful employment of nostalgic machinery as a vehicle for my current art practice. |