I Have Given My Whole Life To Words is a commissioned art piece for the Forum Communications news room in Fargo, ND.

Research and collaboration was an essential part of my creative process. Understanding the Forum’s history, talking first-hand with journalists, printers and archivists about their passion at the paper, how they interact with each other and within the community allowed the process of storytelling to unfold.

Using a variety of materials and techniques relevant to the newspaper and journalism as a profession, I combined text, newsprint and old textiles in unconventional ways. Original wood type was hand-rubbed with graphite on paper then enlarged and hand printed on the piece. You see re-use of reporter notes and remnants of a printer’s apron. A host of stories about community, historic events and life changing experiences that are re-interpreted through bits of cloth, paper, paint and text.

A reflection of the individuals it surrounds, the art is expressive, full of continuous motion and a bit chaotic. My hope was that everyday curiosity would lead one to see something new, to ponder the complexity and the multitude of layers and stories within the piece and the world in which we all live.