Vicki Essig, Heather Gordon, Paul Rousso, and Merrill Shatzman: Word Maps
February 3 – April 1, 2012
Green Hill Center for NC Art, Greensboro, NC
“Heather Gordon’s drawings and paintings investigate the evolving dominance of digital platforms for texts and information by creating systems for translating language into visual images which are based on binary codes. Works such as 8 bit classics and the recent Sound Bites make visible the processes of codification that generally pass unperceived in our contemporary media environment. In Gordon’s Comparatives works, three texts in a related cultural domain are translated into a sequence of hand stamped ink squares on graph paper. By transcribing the texts into a common visual denominator, the artist allows the viewer to make visual associations between the texts revealing links and oppositions and the influence cultural contexts on meaning. Gordon’s use of old graph papers reminiscent of another era, suggests the historicity of digital technology, while washes of white paint in Patriotic Verse suggest the pervasive ebb and flow of data as well as a flag’s movement in the wind.”
Edie Carpenter, Curator Word Maps
Director, Curatorial & Artistic Programs
Green Hill Center for NC Art