Marks on a Page

By Wade Kernohan

I own two of Wade Kernohan's drawings, i.e., marks on paper, which I enjoy "meditating" on over and over again. So I was very excited to get the book, Marks on a Page. I wanted to approach this experience with a tabla rasa. I cleaned out a room of all audio and visual clutter. I took my painting of Dogs Playing Poker and a poster of Jackson Pollack's work up the attic. I took my Nancy Sinatra album and a CD of Klaus Von Stockhausen down to the basement. The room was empty, just me, a chair and Marks on a Page. Finally, I expunged from my mind any snide, sarcastic remarks that might surface, like "My 3-year-old daughter could have done this," or "I could have dipped my chicken's 'feet' in an ink well and had her scratch around on some sheets of white paper and got the same effect." I was soon to find out that was a total non-reality. So finally, with much excitement, I opened the book and much to my surprise it was a completely different experience than viewing my other separate drawings by W. Kernohan. To me, the book of many pages is a series of visual abstractions that speaks a language of courage, creativity and flow of consciousness. Every time I look through the book my mind goes on a different journey. What was the birth of these drawings? Where was Kernohan's consciousness when he created these works? What language are these "marks" speaking? One of the most interesting aspects of his work is the layout. Kernohan and I had discussed his book when it was in its embryonic stages. He told me he wanted to have a drawing and then a blank page, a drawing and then a blank page and keep alternating this theme throughout the book. My conservative and frugal side suggested it would double the size of the book and cost more. But now I see he was right.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1421886804
• ISBN13: 9781421886800
• Release Date: December 2013
• Publisher: 1st World Publishing
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"