Flattened Scores by Steph Harvey

In the artist book, Flattened Scores by Steph Harvey, a recent graduate of the Art, Philosophy and Contemporary Practices course at University of Dundee, the marriage of text and imagery, both created by the artist, merge in a strategy that attempts to create meaning through spatial relationships and juxtapositions. On one level, the imagery gestures toward the romantic and dramatic: a female character sits in pensive pose, theatrically dressed in feminine costume and with feathered quill pen. The text is simultaneously pensive, bidding and longing, but not in a manner that seemingly explicates the imagery. This is a ‘collective’ work, one that uses both text and imagery to gradually accrue in its effect, ultimately appealing to empathy rather than a rational comprehension. In writing about her creative approach, she says:

"As part of my investigation I looked at representations of religious ideals and morality in art. I was greatly influenced by representation’s of Dante’s inferno throughout the ages, Goya’s ‘The Disasters of War’ series, and the works of William Blake. It was at this time that I was introduced to concrete poetry, which allowed me to look at how other artists and poets were using space and imagery to reinforce the meanings they wished to convey. Having written Flattened Scores, I realised that words alone could not quite convey the sense of ambiguity and contradiction that I felt about my own sense of morality. This lead to my investigation into the relationship between word and image in the creation of meaning, an investigation that continues."

Stephanie Harvey is a graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone, University of Dundee, having graduated with a first in Fine Art, Philosophy and Contemporary Practices in 2009. Stephanie works in both word and image, using a variety of printmaking and photography techniques to create artists books. She has since exhibited in Glasgow, and continues to explore the relationship between word and space in the creation of meaning.