X E R O L A G E 3 6
Linear Arrangements, more Effects from our
Primorial Constraints
by Lanny Quarles
http://xexoxial.org/xerolage/x36.html
I absolutely love these works, which for me fall between my two
favorite "concrete" poets, John Furnival and Dom Sylvester Houedard
—both of whom also worked with fundamental lettering. But Quarles' code
strikes deeper, since it is an effected one; it carries the same
archaeology as cuneiform—strokes, layers, countries, languages,
intermingled, interspersed. These pieces could be tablets whose coding
speaks, however troubled, to countries beyond us. I think of our
languaging (in relation to Xerolage 36) as imminent, momentary; I think
of these works as simultaneously bound to a particular instance of
coding (ascii, Internet), and smeared or parcelled among other frames,
cultures, organisms. I've always admired the baroque, even mannerist,
quality of Quarles' style, which comes to fruition here on the printed
page.
—Alan Sondheim
This looks really interesting, would be even more interesting in print
I'm sure. Printed or etched on silicon. Like a billboard up close its
breaking down imagery into fundamental units of on of, squinty pixels.
And I remember the pictures he is talking about at fairs and where not,
where they would "print" your pictures on a dot matrix printer. The
influence of his work as a photolithographer shows as well.
—Derek White
"I think this early exposure to the mutability, and imagistic
capability of language has subconsciously effected my entire life, and
my relation to language as a visual component. I have thought about
many possible threads of meaning for these pieces, but ended up
slightly dissatisfied with their various limitations. One thing I will
tell you is that sometimes wishes come true."
—Lanny Quarles, introduction to LINEAR ARRANGEMENTS, Xerolage 36
(A limited number of review copies are available.)
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