Up Close: “hand, writing” by Julia Solomonoff

Julia Solomonoff’s film “hand, writing” investigates how the pandemic accelerated transformations in the role digital technology plays in our daily lives by focusing on artifacts from our changing present and recent past: personal notebooks, physical calendars, the distinct identity of handwriting, and the mystery of doodles. The film takes stock of how our lives changed in lockdown as well as what we might lose as handwriting fades away as an outdated technology, alternating between the nostalgia of Solomonoff’s reflections, the experience of losing her father, and the playful humor of her daughter Nina’s performance as a future scholar of notebooks. Taking advantage of the resources she had available to her during the shutdown in 2020, Solomonoff shot the film on Zoom, iPhone, and a handheld camcorder, recording the voice-over in a walk-in closet. “Up Close” is a digital series that invites artists and creative thinkers to contribute new artworks and discussions exploring what it means to think about the world and make art right now.