The Human Trace: An Exploration of Mark Making as Language
Lucia Garza
What marks/traces do we leave behind unconsciously?
Where exactly do they come from? What are they based
upon? What do they say? The human trace takes many
forms - from the mindless scribble to the expressive
flourish. It is present in our handwriting, the movement
of our bodies, and of course, in everything we create in
different degrees. These tactile transformations invite us
to look again at what we would otherwise glance over.
They represent this moment when your subconscious
takes over. Where no ones watching you, and you're not
intending to do something great. There's something so
authentic about it. kind of like children have
something just raw and wild.
The Human Trace brings attention to something that is often neglected: the language of gesture, the conscious and unconscious ways lines are created, and the many ways we interpret and talk about them.
Including 124 pages of contemporary and historical examples + process and methodology intersecting visual language, cultural criticism, and media studies @prattgradcomd, this book is a tribute to their continuing spell. ☺︎
Up close image of installation wall. Marks and drawings created by attendees of Pratt Shows 2023.
Vocabulary of Movement
What words do our movements speak? What stories do our bodies weave? We all have a unique vocabulary of movement. No two people move exactly the same way just as no one shape fits us all. Over the course of life, each of our bodies develops a rich vocabulary of movements that helps us engage in the activities we love. Our body is a conscious and unconscious tool we use to express, create, communicate, and connect. A deepened gratitude for our physical body is a deepened gratitude for the activities we love to do.〰️ A diagram of movement as language
Up close image of installation wall. Marks and drawings created by attendees of Pratt Shows 2023.
Thesis book spreads.
Image of Pratt Shows opening night, with student interaction using chalk on wall.