Bonnie Patton: Semantic Satiation

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Semantic Satiation is the psychological phenomenon in which repetition causes a word or phrase to temporarily lose meaning for the listener, who then perceives the speech as repeated meaningless sounds. This phenomenon can happen with any word or phrase. In my practice of using text and language as art, semantic satiation is a reoccurring and useful technique that allows me to explore the relationship between mark-making and semantic meaning, or meaning in language or logic. As I work, I consider the action of the mark-making, the space of the surface, the density and legibility of the mark-making, and the semantic meaning of the selected work or phrase which gets repeated. I do each piece in one sitting (usually), and watch for shifts or errors as I work. Sometimes the mark-making stays orderly; often if grows manic with frenzy. The process ultimately re-configures written language into drawings and challenges the tenacity of semantic meaning.