Laura Di Piazza, Cards, 2011, ink on paper, 18″ x 24″ - 45.7cm x 61cm

(from the ‘Add Before You Judge’ series)

In creating Cards, I made a conscious decision not to use a polished and uniform calligraphic hand. I wanted to express through the letterforms and over all layout the essence of this man’s words, his story, that which is not pretty and tidy. I chose for certain words –“cards”, “attacks”, “freezing”, “destroys”, “place”, “seem” and “my own”– to appear differently, in this case thinner and possibly more fragile than the other words but also of more meaningful semantic weight and substance.

Cards, is but a small window into the life of a man with many hardships. I cried when I first heard this man’s story on a local radio spot in support of the Upper Valley Haven (UVH). I was especially surprised to hear towards the end that he was just a young man of twenty-six. UVH houses and provides living staples and educational programs to individuals and families who are between homes.