Embark on a Visual Adventure

For over 25 years, August Highland wrote in a variety of traditional forms. He gradually became interested in pursuing a new direction and, in the early 90’s, began exploring the appropriation of text and rearranging text into non-linear sequences. Highland went on to originate a genre of literature he calls “Hyper-Literary Fiction,” which became successively more and more visually oriented.

When Highland initially transitioned from the page to the canvas, his work was intended for viewing on a computer screen or laptop. In two years, he has developed techniques that have enabled him to produce his work on a monumental scale. Highland creates his work by programming instructions for all the compositional elements, including typefaces, font color and size, text sources, text distribution, and overall dimensions. He has given this genre the name “Literary Extremism.” 

Every compositional element of Highland’s work is text. From a distance, the text in his work forms a visual pattern. When viewed more closely, you can read the words and phrases. This makes his craft a creation of art and a production of literature, which combines and transcends both. 

Highland’s first visual works were composed of text from varied and various sources. In 2007, he created a collection of work from a single source titled “The Paradise Effect” to celebrate John Milton’s 400th birthday by incorporating text from the epic poem “Paradise Lost.” Since then, Highland has celebrated birthdays and commemorated the deaths of classic writers by creating collections of work from the text of their novels. 

In reworking the text of classic novels, Highland can appreciate these classic works of literature in a new form and hopes others will also enjoy the