Continuing the Conversation: Erasure Art
In Florence this past semester, I took Intermediate Painting: Special Topics. Each semester, our professor chooses a different theme for her students to focus on. Our theme was Sacred and Profane Art, paired with the Palazzo Strozzi’s Divine Beauty Exhibition. We also worked directly with Palazzo Strozzi’s Educational Department and their student exhibition: “Holy! Holy! Holy!”
For my project, I turned to the Book of Judith. I wanted to explore how sacred texts can be interpreted to fulfill personal agendas and the possible subsequent dangers of differences in interpretations. You can see the artwork and read my full statement here.
Erasure for me was not about making my own words or changing the meaning of the Book of Judith. It was about highlighting problematic passages and separating them from their context. Once I isolated the text, I was able to question our interpretation of Judith’s story and legacy. While we have read erasure texts that form new poetry and selective vocabulary, I propose that erasure can also serve a deep, analytic purpose.
Jane, your project sounds really interesting. I love your take on erasure, too. Most of the erasure we have read or been exposed to removes words from its original setting and context to create new art. Nonetheless (or, at least in my opinion) this type of erasure seems a bit overused and, at times, arbitrary. I think that your take on the Book of Judith using erasure is a form of religious exegesis, which is really interesting. I think that you could pursue something in a similar vein for your hybrid project. Erasure as analysis, coupled with your artistic expertise sounds very promising.