This week’s care package explores the various ways artists have used writing/language/words in their artistic practice—and invites you to try making your own art! 

Artists like Barbara Kruger, Lawrence Weiner, Jenny Holzer, and Glenn Ligon have famously utilized phrases to convey meaning in their work. A local example of language being used in art can be found in the work of Nina Ghanbarzadeh, although she often uses words in a less concrete manner, instead “taking a universal approach to written language in her art.” Her statement explains further that she aims to “I use these universal marks in repetition to apply dual meaning to the symbols: one text and language and the other artistic and symbolic.” She often uses Farsi in her work but also melds languages like in This is written in Farsi, 2018, which you can view on her website, along with other beautiful and thought-provoking works. 

Now it’s your turn! Pick your own writing in art path: 

Path 1.) Take some inspiration from Nina’s work and try creating shapes or objects made entirely from a phrase or a word of your choice.  

Path 2.) Try the Cut-up technique: Utilized by Dadaists and David Bowie alike, the cut-up technique asks you to take a piece of existing text (something handwritten, text from a magazine, or any other readily available block of writing) and cut out each word or groups of words so you have a pile of words to rearrange to your liking. Make short stories, poems, or phrases out of the jumble. Try arranging them in unique ways on a page and take a picture of your new artwork. 

Path 3.) Leisurely create art with the aid of a Google Experiment. Poem Portraits asks you to “donate” a word in order to generate a short poem. You have the option of taking a selfie where the words will illuminate your face or simply displaying the words of the poem in a multicolored square. 

We hope you have fun experiencing and creating art utilizing the written word! See you next week for another UAG Care Package.