Known primarily for her musical compositions and interdisciplinary performance works, Meredith Monk was invited by master printmaker Jacob Samuel in 2003 to create Vocal Gestures, a portfolio of nine etchings that each reflect an aspect of the human voice. The resulting prints map out particular vocal worlds that Monk says “can be sung or just enjoyed for the marks on the page.” The portfolio offers a self-portrait of Monk, reflecting her multisensory approach to creating work. According to the artist, “One day in 1965, as I sat at the piano vocalizing, I realized in a flash that within the voice were limitless possibilities of color, texture, character, gender, gesture, and ways of producing sound that were universal. From that time on, I began working with my own instrument—trying to discover the voices within. I explored various resonances, ways of using the breath, lips, cheeks, and diaphragm. I also worked with the extremes of my range and quick changes from one vocal quality to another so that my voice could be a flexible conduit for the energy and impulses that began to emerge.”
Claudine Dixon
2023
