Once Emerged From The New Night Fog
Public Sculptures by Annie Vought, in 600 CaliforniaSan Francisco, CA
This large wall sculpture by Annie Vought is a 17’x 22.5’x12 laser cut sheet steel, cold rolled, and blackened steel. Inspired by Paul Klee lyrical drawings, the abstracted patterns were plucked from the streets of San Francisco; the lines of Art Deco doors, the windows in the Ferry Building, balconies in Chinatown, as well as more identifiable structures like Sutro Tower and the Transamerica Pyramid. The poem woven throughout the sculpture is The Changing Light by Laurence Ferlinghetti who graciously gave his permission for use in this project.
Meet the Creator
"Annie Vought is an artist based in Oakland California who explores emotional artifacts, specifically the handwritten letter. She has a far-reaching presence on the web and has exhibited extensively. In 1999 she co-directed The Budget Gallery: a roving art gallery in San Francisco as well as Boathouse Gallery. In 2009 Annie received her MFA from Mills College.
Annie was raised in Santa FE New Mexico. She grew up surrounded by the arts. Her father is a painter and her mother and Step father are musicians. Annie's bulk of work is comprised of hand cut paper images; of notes, letters, drawings, doodles, texts, and emails. She believes that a written document is a physical evidence of who and where we are, right at the moment it was written. She intricately dissects the negative spaces with an Exacto blade. She uses around 500 to 1000 blades per piece.
Annie quoted "The repetition of cutting away the paper is a way of focusing on the line - a slow investigation into communication, line work, and the hand of the composer. Cutting material away is my way of preserving the author, of spending time with them. My compositions crowd words and drawings together, creating a visual noise, but also a filigree or a pattern. They are text messages, “Just Landed.”, Regrettable emails, letters home from wars, love letters and punishments for kids “I will talk when I am supposed to”. I have notes in French and Chinese and Polish and Dutch, correspondence from all over the world. These personal human stories are crammed together and they are incredibly hard to read. This parallels the over saturation of words in contemporary life. But fragments of sentences and stories appear. Within these small moments, through word choice, image, and line work, the author is often revealed in spite of themselves."
Recently, her work has expanded into the public art sector. She has now completed two new projects. The first one was a 9’x9’x2” laser cut sheet steel sculpture commission at a private location in San Francisco. The second one is a 17’x 22.5’x12” laser cut sheet steel sculpture. It is installed in the lobby of a high-rise building in the financial district of San Francisco at 600 California Street. The project was a significant undertaking requiring efficient and focused teamwork between the client, the art consultant, the engineers, the architects, the installers, and the various subcontractors in each of those groups, and of course Annie. As well, this project required a strict adherence to timeline and budget."
Annie was raised in Santa FE New Mexico. She grew up surrounded by the arts. Her father is a painter and her mother and Step father are musicians. Annie's bulk of work is comprised of hand cut paper images; of notes, letters, drawings, doodles, texts, and emails. She believes that a written document is a physical evidence of who and where we are, right at the moment it was written. She intricately dissects the negative spaces with an Exacto blade. She uses around 500 to 1000 blades per piece.
Annie quoted "The repetition of cutting away the paper is a way of focusing on the line - a slow investigation into communication, line work, and the hand of the composer. Cutting material away is my way of preserving the author, of spending time with them. My compositions crowd words and drawings together, creating a visual noise, but also a filigree or a pattern. They are text messages, “Just Landed.”, Regrettable emails, letters home from wars, love letters and punishments for kids “I will talk when I am supposed to”. I have notes in French and Chinese and Polish and Dutch, correspondence from all over the world. These personal human stories are crammed together and they are incredibly hard to read. This parallels the over saturation of words in contemporary life. But fragments of sentences and stories appear. Within these small moments, through word choice, image, and line work, the author is often revealed in spite of themselves."
Recently, her work has expanded into the public art sector. She has now completed two new projects. The first one was a 9’x9’x2” laser cut sheet steel sculpture commission at a private location in San Francisco. The second one is a 17’x 22.5’x12” laser cut sheet steel sculpture. It is installed in the lobby of a high-rise building in the financial district of San Francisco at 600 California Street. The project was a significant undertaking requiring efficient and focused teamwork between the client, the art consultant, the engineers, the architects, the installers, and the various subcontractors in each of those groups, and of course Annie. As well, this project required a strict adherence to timeline and budget."
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