With reference to typewriter ribbons and spools throughout, the densely textured and pigmented surfaces of Youd’s Tree of Life oil pastels and Typewriter Ribbons paintings are paired with resulting diptychs from his 100 Novels performance series. In these performances, his focus is on the physical act of reading taken to the extreme point of retyping a full length novel; always using the same make and model typewriter originally usedby the author and in a location significant to each novel. This method transcends mere replication, evolving into a profoundly immersive mark-making practice akin to drawing.
The exhibition features six re-typed drawings based on notable literary works by authors native to Georgia, including Carson McCullers, James Dickey, and Flannery O’Connor. Each of the novels were retyped during residencies at historic writers’ homes. Throughout the first two weeks of the exhibition, Youd will perform a retyping of Tayari Jones’ An American Marriage over a two-week period, making it a total of 82 novels retyped.
Youd’s Tree of Life oil pastels—which reference illuminated manuscript designs—are built from motifs of the black and red, classic typewriter ribbons, together with the solid black circle of the typewriter ribbon spool. Youd’s Typewriter Ribbon paintings incorporate actual typewriter ribbons, symbolizing the continuous transformation of literary texts into visual artifacts. Youd’s focus on the typewriter ribbon as an object itself results in paintings featuring both geometric and organic forms. Each piece serves as a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the profound impact of literature on our collective consciousness.
Youd doesn’t merely replicate words; he embodies the essence of a text, channeling its spirit and substance onto the page or canvas. The artist becomes intimately connected to the words and thought process, experiencing the rhythm and cadence of the sentence structure in a tangible way.
