Andrew Salisbury - Calligraphy

Calligraphy

I have been practicing calligraphy for over 7 years. I have the most background in Blackletter and Roman but abstracting many different forms and scripts excites me and allows for a broad range of expressive potential. Through studying many different scripts and their construction, I am able to dissect letters and words into patterns to compose geometric compositions. I often begin with a rigid geometric layout and then let the pen strokes flow naturally and randomly into the shapes merging sentiments from chaos and order.

"The Silence Bursts in the Night"

Silence can be loud. Here I used abstracted calligraphic strokes, negative space, and spraypaint to showcase the energy inherent in the quiet.

9x18in ink and paint on paper

"Drowning"

Across literature and art, the experience of drowning has been depicted in many ways. It is an inherently fearful scenario as it means our death. Yet, the peaceful symbolism that comes about as a result of letting go and accepting is what this piece is after. The calligraphy is tangled and messy but the forms it surrounds and makes up are orderly and encompassing. This simultaneous experience happens frequently in life as we become overwhelmed by our circumstances and emotions. Allowing ourselves space during these times is crucial for feeling the peace in drowning.

24x24 acrylic on canvas

"Beyond the Flesh"

This piece emphasizes the deep yet fleeting nature of seeing another person. I used very abstract letterforms and hid them in a tangle of other strokes. As a result letters and words seem to bubble up and disappear. It takes a long time of seeing and communicating with another person to see them for what they are beyond the flesh, and still, we may never be able to decipher their full self.

18x18in ink in paper

"One Sultry Summer Evening"

This poem was written for a mother by her son. My job was to execute the calligraphy and drawing in a way that would honor the words and the woman they capture.

12x12 ink and colored pencil on paper

"Annabel Lee"

This stanza was taken from an Edgar Allen Poe poem Annabel Lee. I worked to capture its tragic beauty in calligraphy and illustration.

11x17in ink and charcoal on paper

"Pain (Mis)Understood"

This small poster series gives two different perspectives on one thing: pain. Based on how we view this experience, it can be overwhelming and scary, or reserved and manageable. Using calligraphy, typography, and grid my goal was to communicate the difference in these experiences and beg the question of how this can be done.

2 posters

11x17in calligraphy, AI, PS, and Procreate

Other