Archived: Cheryl Wassenaar April/May 2010

1) What materials are your letters made of and where did you get the material?

CW: The letters are vinyl, the same material that is used commercially for lettering on signs and windows. I ordered the vinyl in long rolls from a signmaking company, designed the layout, and cut out each letter. I’ve done work with found commercial signage in the past, where the vinyl letters have been applied to wooden signs, used for years to advertise a space, then discarded. So I’ve been working with vinyl text for a while, but this is a new direction for it.

2) What literature influences your art?

CW: I’ve always been interested in the way that poetry addresses the auditory qualities of text, by using fragments of words and non-traditional placement on a page. I respond to poetry’s ability to be concise but highly sensory. I remember being fascinated by e.e. cummings back in high school. I also read essays by sociologists on the way that technology has influenced the look, the speed, and the density of contemporary written communication.

3) Some people might think of art as something 2-D and object/image based like a painting. How do you describe your art within this context and what place do you think 'installation' art has in the popular imagination?

CW: My background is in painting, so I tend to approach the work I make, even if it’s dimensional, from a perspective that prioritizes shape relationships within a flat, two-dimensional space. I still think of it as an image (which does not have to be representational) on a surface, but instead of it being paint on a canvas, it’s vinyl on a window. I think installation captures people’s interest because of the way that it continually expands the idea of what material can be, what surface and space can be, and how these elements can work together to create a unique experience.

4) Why do you think fonts and letterpress are gaining popularity these days?

CW: My guess is that fonts are not simply in the domain of graphic designers anymore. Anyone who has basic computer software has a selection of fonts to choose from, and having a choice means having to think about it a little. This is the age of digital personas, from websites to blogs. Typefaces are a way to set a tone for what you write, and people can see how useful that is. Letterpress may be a reaction to the ubiquitous digital type. People may appreciate the tradition, the labor, and the tactile quality of the letters on paper, something that is meant to be felt with your hands as much as read.

5) What classes do you teach?

CW: I regularly teach 2D Design courses that are meant for artists and designers pursuing various disciplines. I teach a course on different aspects of color, how it is used culturally and commercially. I also teach a course on appropriating and manipulating found objects and images. I work with graduate students who are pursuing their MFA as well.