This artwork, rendered in a dark, somber palette, depicts a pair of hands meticulously etching intricate patterns onto a series of slate-like surfaces. The composition emphasizes the tactile, laborious process of mark-making, with the hands and the carved textures dominating the frame. The overall visual style is one of stark minimalism, relying on the contrast between the hands' organic forms and the abstract, geometric designs they create. The piece likely reflects the artist's interest in the meditative and introspective qualities of manual artistry, inviting the viewer to contemplate the relationship between the physical and the conceptual in the creative act. ...
Samantha Roth’s work thoroughly explores the boundaries of drawing, recognizing it as not only a medium for visual communication but also, a sphere for sculptural potential. In her drawings, Roth carefully prepares the surface with black gesso, creating both a stage and a dreamlike world for her art to unfold. The resulting drawings, marked by their familiarity, oddity, and extensive detail, draw viewers in with delicate layers of precisely applied colored pencil. The pieces showcased in her solo exhibition, 'Duplex,' for instance, spring from everyday experiences — an overheard conversation through a wall, phrases gleaned from texts, encounters during teaching, observations made on a walk, or nuances noted in her studio. Literature holds a pivotal role in Roth’s practice, interpreting each body of work like a collection of short stories. Repeating themes echo, expansive moments are condensed, and particular details connect one drawing to the next, continuously inviting the viewer to reflect on their personal relationship with the varied facets of her work. ...
