Christopher Squier: Scribblework

Christopher Squier’s scribblework explores the transcendence of two dimensional scribble drawings into the three dimensional realm. He uses thin black fabric to emulate simple yet elegant scribble forms and pen drawings of scribbles on the walls behind the sculptural pieces to shadow the three dimensional forms. The black scribbles which Squier created are rigid and positioned in contrived shapes which contrast the flimsy fabric from which they were made. He uses these forms to travel across and within space, allowing him to literally draw in space. Some of the scribbles reside directly on the wall while others travel off of it and between spaces. The pen drawings on the wall mimic the forms of the black fabric scribbles but interpret them in a very different manner. They are flat and crisp creating a backdrop and reference point for the three dimensional scribbles to interact with. Some of the pen drawn forms mimic the fabric forms while others take on forms that are in direct opposition (straight long lines) to the twisted shapes formed by the fabric. One of Squier’s pieces includes four fabric scribbles which are accompanied by pins which document the form of the shapes themselves based on the amount of loops, angles, and overlaps each squiggle has, quantitatively naming the forms via a visual representation. Although Squier’s work is separated into groups of squiggles they work together as a set which explores the idea of how space functions as a drawing material and the relationship between two and three dimensional forms.
The black fabric scribble forms move through the space of the wall and also sit within it as a static plane. Each scribble takes on a different connotation based on its relationship to the space and the other images Squier uses. By using the shelves to sit the fabric squiggles on and drawing the fabric between walls he emphasizes its physical nature. The shadows of the scribbles add another element to Squier’s piece, drawing another line on the wall which interacts and suggests space. The pen drawing, fabric squiggles, and shadows create a conversation within the space and the forms. They relate to each other in different way based on the distance of the scribbles from the wall and the form of the pen drawings. The black and physical nature of the sculpted scribbles often dominates the lightly drawn and controlled pen scribbles, however, the permanence and adhesion of the pen drawn forms on the wall quickly balance this also referencing the ephemeral, temporal nature of the fabric forms.

This work seems to largely be an exploration of line and drawing. Scribbles are free-handed, quick, uncontrolled forms, which Squier has translated into controlled forms through sculpting of the fabric and the transfer of scribble forms in pen onto the wall. Squier’s piece is successful in providing a broad definition of drawing. What one may consider “drawing” is broadened through his use of space, shadow, and line which bridge the gap between drawing as a two dimensional and three dimensional practice. Through this work the essence of drawing in the form of a scribble is transcribed into a sculptural space and is then further interpreted into a narrative drawing through Squier’s use of the pin naming. Although the image may be simple and unformulated the process and expansion of this idea into an unconventional drawing stretches the viewer’s perception of what drawing is and where a drawing can exist within the context of contemporary artistic practices.

-Jo Murray