Kathryn Zazenski
Artists
Kathryn Zazenski
Artist
n/a
New Hope, PA (greater Philadelphia area)
Statement
Through my work I explore perceived structure and the duality of the vital yet completely arbitrary nature of the systems present in our lives. I am interested in how culture influences the way we physically and psychologically maneuver through the world, and through employing various methods of making and interacting I explore the roles that culture, tradition, and ethos play in the way we communicate and interpret relationships. My practice is heavily research driven and is a result of continual travel and exploration into sociological, psychoanalytical, spiritual, and relational ideologies.
Artworks
Admiration / Contempt
8"x8"
graphite on paper
2012
Same body of work.
Stupidity / Intelligence
8"x8"
graphite on paper
2012
Same body of work.
Overwhelmed / Solace
8"x8"
graphite on paper
2012
With this series I am exploring a new visual system for the written word. I am creating the opportunity to re-see and experience these symbols in new ways that highlights their inherent fragility and mutability.
To create this body of 160 drawings I developed a list of human emotions and character traits and paired them each with an opposing sentiment. The pairs were then plotted on a traditional x-y graph where numerical values are replaced by the English alphabet. The values are arranged both in traditional order along one axis (a,b,c…z) and then according to frequency of occurrence along the other (e,i,a…z). Frequency was calculated from the list of 320 unique words used in this series. The words are then plotted one letter at a time and are connected by a line in the order that they assume to form the word. The word pairings are plotted together, traced, and the image is then mirrored and transferred onto paper to create the final drawing. Titles indicate the word pairings.