Left Hand Nik
Eleven months of mark-making with my opposite hand. This performance was partially an experiment into becoming ambidextrous and partially a pragmatic intervention into the carpal tunnel developing in my right hand. An existing stack of paper (half-letter size) in my home initiated the proposed duration of the experiment. One sheet of paper would get written on each day until the stack was gone.
There were three phases of the output. In the first, I traced the alphabet daily to get adept at making the letterforms. After some time in, my progress did plateau. In the second phase, I decided to shift to short, unplanned writings. Writing a left-handed entry became a morning ritual. The new dexterity was palpable for a long while. Eventually, a decision was made to once again change up the approach. For the longest and final phase of this documented performance, a drawing was made each day that depicted some object nearby me.
In what was almost a whole year, a stack of images developed. The generative series of notations showed gradual improvement over controlling a pencil. Finally, scans of the markings were organized into a web experience. The sheets of paper themselves were bound into three books. The website offers an interactive look at the collection. Based on the position of the mouse (or touch of the finger) a user can scroll quickly through images.
See the online gallery at: www.lefthand.nikkiroach.com
