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Shelby Rodeffer Artist Talk

Shelby Rodeffer's work centers around the way various styles of text can enhance the effect of the words themselves. Rodeffer's pieces blend text and image to provide commentary on different social issues such as gender roles in society. Coming from a background in sign painting, Rodeffer uses her knowledge of lettering to shape her text in a way that mirrors the message of her illustration. Her use of traditional sign making is interesting due to the way it is both practical as well as artistic



While she often works on traditional surfaces such as signs and windows, she also takes her lettering to surfaces such as silk. These silk banners are reminiscent of masonic banners and she makes use of her lettering to bolster the odd and somewhat ambiguous feel of the banners she is referencing.




Though she often relies on work as a sign painter to make a living, she mentioned that recently she has begun to get work producing her art. Artists often face the difficult reality of needing to be able to support themselves yet still express creatively and Rodeffer is beginning to reach a place where she can do both. Some of her most interesting work explores the interplay between human relationships and technology. As McLuhan says, "Electric circuitry has overthrown the regime of "time" and "space" and pours upon us instantly and continuously the concerns of all other men". Yet while we appear to be constantly connected, the reality is that technology breeds isolation.

Comments

  1. JuliaSeptember 30, 2018 at 6:15 PM

    Interesting how you related this to that specific McLuhan quote, would like to know more about how it connects to her work in your eyes.

    ReplyDelete

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