A lot of Glenn Ligon's works border between art and literature. Whether one sees it as one or the other depends on the viewer.
In order to make his pieces, Ligon employs the use of oil crayons, letter stencils, silkscreen, neon, paint, and coal dust.
As a young child, Ligon garnered a deep love of books, which has obviously seeped into the majority of his works. Ligon often incorporates quotes from books he has read directly into his pieces through smudging oil crayons over letter stencils. His works are also influenced by historical people and movements.
Text is a major components in Ligon's pieces. In fact, the majority (if not all) of his works have words in them. Ligon also frequently uses repetition in his art. When he finds a quote he likes, Ligon will repeat that quote over and over again until the whole canvas is filled up. The way Ligon executes his pieces can be seen as pretty messy. Sometimes so much so that the words he is trying to depict become unreadable. This messiness, however, is often intentional, as when he tries to make himself paint or draw like a child.
Language is integral to Ligon's art, communicating not just the quotes that are displayed, but the messages behind them as well.
Information provided by:
"Glenn Ligon." Art21. PBS, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2014.
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