Utility Writers ON CANAL

Utility Writers is a solo exhibition, celebration, and study by MRKA of the symbols written by construction workers on the asphalt and sidewalks of the New York City streets between 2016 and 2018. MRKA explores these often disregarded symbols left behind from construction sites and how these marks are reminiscent of graffiti: the readability of the letterforms and its variations, the colors and imperfections, the impermanence, the different possible interpretations, and ultimately the individuals behind it, who write. He began focusing on the marks that seemed like recognizable letter shapes, carefully curating Utility Alphabet 1 and Utility Alphabet 2, which were then fabricated into a rug. MRKA then focused on words and the writers themselves, creating a book to be launched at the opening, that includes a variety of MRKA’s photos and a collection of essays.