Olivia Gorman

Studio Art and Women's & Gender Studies major

In my art practice, I explore concepts of labor, specifically my own labor, and a language of mark-making. To me, the mark is the most direct translation of labor, as well as a form that is familiar to everyone. It is its own isolated object, but when surrounded by masses of other marks, becomes part of a greater whole. These marks not only cover the surface they are on, they also reveal the materiality of that surface, and show my own time and labor. My mark-making language, whether on paper or canvas, has been an opportunity for me to be transparent about how I make my art as well as the time I devote to it.

Accumulation

illuminated canvas

Jewett Gallery

long light tan canvas with many small lines cut into it; a light shines from behind it, glowing through the cut lines

The labor that goes into creating a moment in time is a concept that I am exploring through this piece. The experiments, skills, and work that we all experience define how we move through and interact with the moments of our lives. I experienced this when a friend and I made comparisons between snow in the wind and the marks I was making in the studio. So much labor went into creating that space together while talking about art and snow.

I want to create a moment between me, the artist, and you, the viewer. Through my mark-making (or mark removal) on the canvas, I want to show my own labor that went into creating the object. You can see me in my work, as well as take a moment with the piece and create a moment yourself. I want this canvas to be a place of representation for both our labor: mine through marks and yours through your perspective and experience.

tan canvas stretched across the corner of a white-walled gallery; lit from behind, many small lines cut into the canvas glow

close up on small lines cut into tan canvas, with light glowing behind

angled close up of lines cut into tan canvas, with light glowing from behind

gallery visitors silhouetted in front of a long canvas stretched across a gallery corner; lit from behind, many small lines on its surface glow

Push Press

charcoal on paper

Jewett Hallway Galleries

large drawing comprised of many very small linear charcoal marks

This three-part drawing was made with one set of marks. By stacking the papers and covering the back of the top sheet in charcoal, marking the top sheet imprinted marks on the bottom two sheets. With the mark serving as a direct translation of my labor, I used print pressing techniques to also show the materiality of the paper.

drawing comprised of many very small linear black marks

drawing composed of many very small linear gray marks

slightly wrinkled piece of white paper, very faintly incised with linear marks

close up on a drawing comprised of many very small swirling linear black marks

angled view of three abstract drawings clipped to a gray fabric wall

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