Ernesto Leal Cuba, b. 1971
25 x 20 cm
Ernesto Leal's "Handwriting (Goodbye)" (2020) is a sculpture made from pencil stubs salvaged from his "Grammatical" series, affixed to a glove base measuring 25 x 20 cm. The multicolored remnants cluster together, their tips protruding outward in a functional yet static arrangement. The work addresses handwriting as an individualized process, connecting manual grip, sight lines, and the formation of language. Presented as a wearable object, it signals an endpoint for these tools, shifting from practical use to a static record that links visual form, physical action, and semantic content.
Exhibitions
“Gramatical” (solo exhibition), Galería Elvira Moreno, Bogotá, Colombia, 2022 (Included multiple works from the Handwriting series, 2020, as part of the artist’s investigation of syntax, mark-making, and linguistic power.)
“Sintaxis” (solo exhibition), The Bonnier Gallery, Miami, Florida, United States, February 18 – April 29, 2023
Literature
"Ernesto Leal: Handwriting,” by François Vallée, Hypermedia Magazine, August 25, 2020 (Dedicated feature article discussing and illustrating the Handwriting series, including the use of pencils on stockings and gloves.)