Vinnie Hager, 2115

Artist Statement

Title: Send More Mail

Year: 2115

In my art making practice the envelope/letter has always been a symbol that I draw. This symbol has become almost a logo or signature for me where then I started to create meaning around it. My TIMEPiece, Send More Mail, is a narrative piece that questions if physical mail, whether letters, bills, notes, etc will still be utilized in the year 2115. As our world moves further and further into relying on technology for communication/relations, I’m curious if the envelope (or letter) will still be employed. Will hand written letters still be sent through the post office? How will the encroaching metaverse affect the physical forms of mail? I’m hoping for a bright future but technology continues to overcome these older forms of communication. Time will tell.

My work is based in drawing. The elements that I employ in my drawings are made up of lines, shapes, characters, and symbols that connect through form and structure, similar to a jigsaw puzzle. This way of drawing allows me to generate my own iconography that ranges from the recognizable, like envelopes, flowers, eyes, and stars, to the abstract and the gestural. By combining my iconography this way my work becomes a cleverly harnessed motif which then I vary by scale, intricacy, and repetition. I adapt this motif to objects that veer from the traditional paper and canvas and into the ready made space of home decor, wearables, and the utilized. My iconography and patterning engage not only in these analogue materials but further explore digital applications and new technologies.

Bio:

Vinnie Hager (b. 1996) is an American artist and designer who lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland. He received his Associates Degree in Visual Design from Anne Arundel Community College in 2016 and has since gone on to study at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. He graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in General Fine Arts with a Curatorial Studies minor in Spring of 2021.

@vinniehager | @vinniehager

Hager was invited to TIMEPieces by Colin Egan. Their work is inspired by the year 2015.

Contact us at letters@time.com.