In the days before my children I was a Librarian and have always had a passion for books. Since moving to Switzerland one of the things I've missed most is being able to stand in an English bookshop and feast my eyes. I spend a lot of time reading and ordering online but nothing beats being able to be there myself. It's one of those things you don't understand the importance of until you don't have it anymore. I think this appreciation is probably one of the reasons I like to use words in my art. I once had an art teacher who told me she thought the reason I felt compelled to write on my work was because I was unable to convey my meaning otherwise, what a load of tosh! words will always be a part of who I am and I'll still be sticking them on my work when I'm old and grey!
4 comments:
I am so there with you on words. A picture may paint a thousand words (or however that saying goes), but a single word can also create a thousand pictures. Which explains the whole "dream", "be" "create" phenomenon! My favorite kinds of books to collect? Vintage dictionaries- because they have words that no one uses anymore. And I like the old pictures and typefaces.
Your collages are lovely, BTW. :)
Though I´m still living in the country where I was born, I can really understand this. I´d lose a part of myself if I had to live without my mother tongue ... But in my "art" I like to use English words so that everyone can understand the meaning.
I love the words! The words make the person looking at your art interpret a certain way. Art doesn't have to be all waffly and everyone interprets it different ways. It can be more directed - and sometimes the words add more questions!
I can sympathise with you, as I've lived in Switzerland for more than 35 years and it's these little things one misses.
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