Interested in the traces that people leave behind, Oakland-based artist Annie Vought transforms people’s “emotional artifacts” for the gallery walls. She meticulously recreates personal letters (sometimes her own, but often not), notes, doodles and other found correspondence by dissecting them into cut paper creations. Enlarging the hand-scrawled letters onto a new piece of paper and carefully removing the negative spaces with an X-ACTO knife, Vought’s works are intricate, fragile remnants of times when kids passed notes in class before texting each other on cell phones (though she has worked with text/typed messages too). In certain instances, the works feel vulnerable due to tiny pins fastening them to walls and the delicacy of line work. Other times the letters’ misspelled messages and curious narratives are persistent and unapologetic, refusing to be hidden like a secret in a desk drawer. Either way, these are beautiful reminders that letter writing is truly a lost art. See more of Vought’s works in our gallery past the break.
Annie Vought, Get Out of Study Hall
Annie Vought, Ps No More Calls For You from Sexy Girls
Annie Vought, Dear Annie
Annie Vought, PS Your So Cool
Annie Vought, You Never Know Where This Letter Could End Up
Annie Vought, 1993
Annie Vought, do I look like your mother
Annie Vought, 415
Annie Vought, Christmas
Annie Vought, self controle