Contextualizing Drawings Through Everyday Writing
Figures 1 and 2 show a portrait and subsequent letter that Caroline Robbins made for Tatyana Esquilin as a birthday gift. The letter begins with a description of the complexity of portraiture as defined in the art world, and shifts to Caroline’s own beliefs about the art from. She gives meaning to the portrait by referring to some of its “subtle details.” She describes the way in which “an eye reflects light” and “a mouth quirks upward in a smile,” and how when a portrait captures all of these little things, “the true personality of the individual can shine through.”
Without the letter, the portrait still contains all of the meaning that Caroline intended, but the written message makes this meaning accessible to the reader, someone who’s knowledge of art is far below that of the creator. The signature, “your friend, Caroline Robbins,” displays the intimacy of the artifact and defines the relationship between author and intended audience. Furthermore, both the purpose of the artwork and significance of the materiality are explained within the writing itself, where Caroline states “I guess what I am trying to say with the ramble is that you are an incredible, stunning person and I tried to tell you that in the best way I know how. On this single sheet of paper, likely torn from a personal sketchbook, Caroline shares a piece of her identity, while creating a piece of art that reflects the identity of her audience as well.
Figures 3 and 4 display a handmade birthday card created by Phong Huynh for Tatyana Esquilin. The focus of this artifact is on the main written message of the card, rather than the letter within, which is why the full letter is not shown. The message reads “The world is made of moments. Every moment of your life has touched others and changed the world. Here’s to another year of you.” In this scenario, previous knowledge of the context of the artwork is needed in order for the writing to provide meaning to the reader. The drawing portrays a memory of when Phong, Tatyana and friends went to the beach and brought Tatyana’s dog (pictured) with them.
With this knowledge, the message of the card calls the audience to reflect on this memory. It speaks to the significance of even the smallest of experiences, and shows the importance of finding meaning within these moments. Additionally, the decision to handwrite the message makes the artifact more personal. The specificity of the artwork and the author’s direct address to the reader “you,” makes the writing more intimate.