Alphabet 2006

Valerie Jaudon's "Alphabet" is a great example of how traditional techniques, like painting, can speak to contemporary concerns, especially in this case, around production. With its earthy palette, this painting consists of white geometric forms arranged on a brown background. Look closely, and you’ll notice a repeating pattern, made up of lines, curves and rectangles. The forms are crisp and precise, suggesting that stencils were used, or perhaps some other kind of mechanical assistance. The title suggests that these shapes could be letters. But any clear message they might convey is lost in the overall composition. This piece prompts us to consider the labor involved in its creation. It’s a hand-made artwork, but its repetitive, modular elements also evoke industrial production. This tension—between the unique gesture and the serial process—is central to Jaudon's project. She invites us to see the making of an artwork as a form of work in itself, with its own rhythms and routines.