Ella Sutherland has a sharp wit. She playfully forces us to read between the lines by anthropomorphising letters and giving graphics curvaceous forms that express character and potential relationships. Looking at her work, I start to see the sexy big booty of the letter B, how a C might be chatty or churlish, and that Q is really quite codependent on U.
Sutherland works at the nexus of graphic design, publishing, and contemporary art. Originally from Whakatu¯ Nelson and now based in Sydney, her work has been exhibited throughout Australasia over the past decade—and in the 2018 Gwangju Biennale. In her paintings and installations, she explores the poetic potential of letterforms, engages queer texts and social spaces, and addresses architecture’s limitations. Each project has specific references, and deploys the multiple meanings of text, colours, and forms to unsettle and reflect on its context. Sutherland reveals the nuances of design as strategic communication tools, stressing how, say, a simple line can divide a page, creating difference and hierarchy. While her works may appear bold, playful, and, at times, funny, they are underpinned by robust research into how visual languages operate, as she challenges the power dynamics enacted through information architecture...
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