Drawing : Drawings as exhibition proposals: Lines by Jackie Ferrara

Tuesday 25 April 2017

Drawings as exhibition proposals: Lines by Jackie Ferrara

At this time of the year 3^rd year students have to submit proposals for their final exhibition spaces. This can sometimes feel like a chore but if seen as a challenge the act of putting a proposal together can lead to interesting work in its own right. Jackie Ferrara has published a book that reflects on the development of her work ‘Lines’, a wall drawing piece, made in collaboration with the Drawing Centre: New York and it is at the moment available onlinehere.

This is how the Drawing Centre introduces Ferrara’s work:

‘Lines consists of eight wall drawings, each anchored by imagined architecture or architectural elements along with lists of film titles rendered in Morse code. The Morse code acts as a foundation or band, interrupting the drawn architecture or adding another layer over the entire surface. The underlying theme of the individual drawings is reflected both in the architectural element or shape dominating the drawing as well as by the Morse code text, which consists of curated lists of films Ferrara began compiling in 1993 that reflect her life-long passion for film. Vampire Towers, for example, depicts nine abstract, dark towers that emerge out of a foundation of vampire film titles veiled in Morse code. This commission reflects the ongoing evolution of Ferrara’s work, incorporating elements of the established language of her sculpture and public art works and bringing them to the walls of The Drawing Center.’

The possibilities inherent in thinking about proposals for the exhibition of your work as works of art in their own right are very rich. From artist’s books to wall pieces, there are many opportunities to extend the processes behind your work out into the exhibition itself. This also gives you the opportunity to address your audience and help them come to terms with what your work is about. If people have a better grasp of the working processes that lie beneath your work, it is more likely they will appreciate it.