THE UNTITLED PROJECT
Photo by Melissa Vandenberg, Indiana State University Gallery.
The
Untitled Project is rooted in an underlying
interest in the nature of power. With the removal of all traces of text
from the photographs, the project explores the manifestation of power
between large groups of people in the form of public and semi-public language.
The absence of the printed word not only draws attention to the role text
plays in the modern landscape but also simultaneously emphasizes alternative
forms of communication such as symbols, colors, architecture and corporate
branding. In doing this, it serves to point out the growing number of
ways in which public voices communicate without using traditional forms
of written language.
The reintroduction of the text takes written language out of the context
of its intended viewing environment. The composition of the layouts remain
true to the composition of their corresponding photographs in order to
draw attention to relative size, location and orientation. The isolation
of the text from its original graphic design and accompanying logos, photographs
and icons helps to further explore the nature of communication in the
urban landscape as a combination of visual and literal signifiers.