Rob Lentz's entry into the
2019 Raw Vision short film competition
The text-based artworks of Louis DeMarco (b. 1985, Chicago) incorporate messages that are both urgent and impenetrable, combining an intuitive flair for graphic design with an eccentric approach to the English language. But words began shaping this artist long before his Cloud Charts and text signs appeared in works of art: as a child he was hyperlexic – unable to communicate verbally, but able to read and write by the age of 2.
With the gift of a typewriter from his parents, the words came out in a flood and they have not stopped since. "Hyperlexia" explores DeMarco’s journey through language, in visual art as well as music, to arrive at a deeper understanding of his creative life.
Louis DeMarco is a member of Project Onward, a Chicago-based studio for artists with developmental disabilities and mental illness. His drawings and paintings have been exhibited all over the world, appearing in galleries and museums, in print, and as monumental public art. Rob Lentz is the co-founder and former director of Project Onward; he now operates as an independent curator and art consultant.
