Opening reception: September 9th | 4–6pm

Jack Fischer Gallery is pleased to present a sketchy outline, a solo exhibition by Annie Vought. 

With regard to her recent work and upcoming exhibition, Vought states: “Through the computer I am in touch with people I may never have seen before and I can respond in real time to a loved one. I am able to alter images through programs like Photoshop and render photo-realistic impressions from nothing. But with the ubiquity of this access and convenience, the tangible hand-drawn line is lost. The handwritten document can be a physical confirmation of who and where we were at the moment it was made, or all we have left of a person or a time. 
 
"The bulk of my work is hand-cut paper images of handwritten notes, letters, drawings, and doodles as well as many different contemporary forms of written communication. I intricately dissect the negative spaces with an X-ACTO blade. The repetition of cutting away the paper is a way of focusing on the line - a slow investigation into communication, line work and hand of the composer. My compositions cram words and drawings together, creating a visual noise. They are incredibly hard to read. Paralleling the over-saturation of words in contemporary life, sometimes only fragments of sentences show themselves. But even within these small moments, through spelling, word choice, image, and line work, the author is often revealed in spite of herself.
 
"My father was an artist. The paper used for this show came from his sketchbooks and studio. Some of the pages were drawn on by my baby. These pieces are a collaboration. In the past two years, my father died, I had a baby, there were serious illnesses in my family, and of course a presidential election. Much of these experiences were reflected back at me through social media. This year more than ever I felt the bombardment of words: beautiful, heartbreaking, life-affirming, magical thinking, despairing and bullshit words. So, for the final works in this show I let the words go completely."

Annie Vought (b. 1977) is an artist based in Oakland, California. Her work is an elaborate investigation into the visual architecture of language and the limits of paper. She has a far-reaching presence on the web and has exhibited extensively throughout the US. In 2009, Vought earned her MFA from Mills College. She is the recipient of the Irvine Fellowship Award, the Herringer Family Foundation Award, the Murphy and Candogen Award and was a 2012 SECA nominee.