Meanings of Line
The basic element of drawing — the line — has four basic interpretations depending on which aspect of our perception they seek to address:
I. The first definition of line is the act of drawing itself — leaving a visible mark on a surface. In that way, our perception interprets line as trajectory: a recording of motion and direction in space. Such tracks not only point at things, but form connections by meeting other elements within that space. Consequently, the drawing becomes like a map or graph, a trajectory documenting the journey of a pen across the drawing.
Line as a track is a visualised journey. The quality of the line tells us about the characteristics of the object and its motion. Angles imply direction, thickness of line suggests weight and density, while the length and frequency define changes in pace and speed. Each line I make forms a piece of time in the continuity of the drawing. Creating such lines can be an active process of imagining and projecting an idea, or passive, like automatic writing, using intuitive and spontaneous reactions of my subconscious. At times connections may appear unexpected, without any conscious planning, when the hand is “thinking” along with my mind. Such drawings are reflections of bodily journey, the product of “muscle memory” projected on surface.
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