A student’s visual wandering through theory. Five diptychs.
Drawing Inferences
Like most college students, each year I am flooded with writings by some of the most inspiring and intimidating thinkers. Readings from disparate classes are somewhat coincidentally set side by side. Navigating these varied texts reveals interesting intersections and illuminations, yet just as often their congregation seeds confusion. Compounding this uncertainty, I always recognize my understanding to be partial; there is inevitably more to be gleaned from a work than can be retained in a first pass. To balance the intense cognitive concentration necessitated by close reading, and to combat the frustrating feeling of my own limitations and insignificance, I draw. If I begin to fidget or become too impatient with a text, I put down the book and pick up my pen and markers. Aside from making my workload more enjoyable, this exploration also functions as a way to deepen my comprehension of a work. Associative mutations often crop up on my page that unearth affinities and expose my intuitive understandings of the writings. “Drawing Inferences” offers examples of this practice, where in letting go, the act of drawing lets me in.