I had the incredibly rewarding opportunity to work with two mediums that are very near and dear to me: type and poetry.

This group exhibition began with thirty untitled and unauthored poems by Molly-Margaret Johnson and Kareem Rahma. These poems were shared with local and national typographers, illustrators, and designers, who were challenged to conceive a personal rendition of the poem of their choice, adding yet a third layer of complexity to the written prose.

I chose a short poem that evoked the lonely and isolating feeling of a highway at night and the distant flicker of a motel sign. To achieve my vision, I used roofing felt as a surface, which provided me with a rough texture resembling a road at night. Additionally, I composed a type design stencil and used spray paint to create the illusion of a neon sign. I used a translucent paper to share the prose that the writer provided.

I had the chance to present my piece along with Abraham Lule, Anne Ulku, Briana Layne, Booka B, Christopher Alday, Dana Christopherson, Destiny Davidson, Evan Weselmann, Fiona Avocado, Gina McMillen, Jared Marie, Jesús Sanchez, Jordan Hadler, Josh Lexvold, Lindsey Wright, Maximilian Mauracher, Melanie G.S. Walby, Melissa Sisk, Miles Taylor, Milton Un, Molly McDougall, Nicholas Straight, Paige Guggemos, Sara Paul Kahn, Shivani Parasnis, and Thy Doan.

The opening night was March 5th, 2020.

With my artwork, Spray Paint on Roofing Felt, for the Poem No. 12.

Melissa Sisk with her artwork (Poem No. 14).

Nicholas Straight with his artwork (Poem No. 19).

Dan Souligny with his artwork (Poem No. 21).

Christopher Alday with his artwork (Poem No. 28).

Links/Press:

• Find Part 1 and Part 2 of videos recorded by some of the artists talking about the process behind creating their artwork to the show here, and here.
• Find an article from MPLSART about the exhibition here.