Raw Marks: A Conditional Design Project
Lucia Garza
I am interested in the marks an artist makes, and how the physical production of a work is linked to the subconscious of the creator. Perhaps this is why I’m so fascinated by the aesthetic of a sketch? The speed of a casual drawing provides a glimpse into the mind of an artist because it is less mediated by any formal agenda. The work is more reactive, and less planned than the fully realized piece.
A gesture as simple as a line on page can illuminate a person’s personality and history. Just as a graphologist examines handwriting to identify the characteristics of a writer, I see hidden depths in the abstract marks of an artist. My thesis is a meditation on the raw, unfinished artwork. It is an exploration of the traces left by the hand.
Raw Marks is a collection of works created by three students at The New School’s Parsons School of Design. Each participant was given a series of drawing tests in which they were asked to respond to a set of instructions. As the invigilator of these sessions, I imposed a set of restrictions (left-handed drawing, blind-folded drawing) which were designed to disrupt any self-conscious mannerisms. I want to reveal something essential in the scribbles.