Laura Wait

Word forms as image are the primary focus of my art. Words and symbols, used as marks, are layered on paintings to form a wall of history with meaning at each depth. Aesthetics of words and symbols is of more importance than reading the text, and indeed most of the words I use are totally illegible. I believe man has an intuitive connection to marks, and there is worldwide use of similar mark forms from prehistoric times. Symbolism has interested me since I was young, and for a long time I incorporated world iconography and the meanings of four and into my art. This led to study of fertility symbols, conjoined with a study of tree symbolism. An interest in checkerboards followed, which led me to a study of chess. I incorporated words in this series from the writings of “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu. My paintings evolved at this time into paintings of words, often-large words, with energy, using words of conflict and from chess. Words have been my main interest ever since. I include medieval illuminated manuscripts among my influences, along with Asian writing and modern graffiti. My marks are polyglot letterforms much as in the movie Blade Runner. I see a huge melding in our world of Asian and Western writing and imagery, as well as life in general. I have always had an affinity for Asian art and allow it to influence many of the shapes I use. I also draw on the energy of modern graffiti, which I see as a source of new energy in abstraction much as African rhythms energized rock and roll and jazz. I create walls, with scribbling and writings, that may have been made over a period of years. My idea is to have the feel of the shapes, with an intuitive connection, and many layers to create depth. These are imagined underwater, in ancient times, on other planets, or in modern urban settings with layers of graffiti and signage. The marks are universal, somewhat random, and related to music, with layers of writing acting as layers of melody and rhythm. Nothing is quite concrete, and my work is very intuitive. My work is an affirmation of the human spirit and the mark of the hand. In our modern world, which is growing smaller, the influences of the computer are everywhere. Handwriting is an antidote to that, and connects strongly with people today.