Lucia Garza

I am interested in the marks an artist makes, and how the physical production of a work is linked to the subconscious of the creator. Perhaps this is why I'm so fascinated by the aesthetic of a sketch. The speed of a casual drawing provides a glimpse into the mind of an artist because it is less mediated by any formal agenda. The work is more reactive, and less planned than the fully realized piece. A gesture as simple as drawing a line on a page can illuminate a person's personality and history. Just as a graphologist examines handwriting to identify the characteristics of a writer, I see hidden depths in the abstract marks of an artist. My thesis is a meditation on the raw, unfinished artwork. It is an exploration of the traces left by the hand. Raw Marks is a collection of works created by three students at Parsons School of Design. Participants were given a series of drawing tests, in which they were asked to respond to a set of instructions. As the invigilator of these sessions, I imposed a set of restrictions (left-handed drawing, blindfold drawing) that were designed to disrupt any self-conscious mannerisms. I wanted to reveal something essential in the scribbles.