Text art incorporates the written word for humorous, profound, or didactic effect. In some examples of text art, the words serve as the main subject of the work, while in other instances they complement other visual elements. The work of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein fits into the latter category. Lichtenstein drew inspiration from comic books to create his paintings and prints, which show melodramatic scenes rendered with flat, graphic colors and Ben-Day dots. The images invariably include text of dialogue and at times loud and large onomatopoetic words like “POW” or “CRAK!” As evidenced by Lichtenstein, typography is an important aspect of text art. Artists carefully select the style of typeface and the visual effects of the words. The size and design of the letters can strongly affect the meaning of the work. Typography is essential to the work of New York-based multimedia artist Baron Von Fancy. Old-fashioned hand-painted signage inspires the form of his humorous banners of boldly painted aphorisms.

Sculptures of words or phrases made out of neon lights are another prominent type of text art, made by artists including Bruce Nauman, Tracey Emin, and Esmeralda Kosmatopoulos. These words are frequently funny, confessional, and profound. Text plays a crucial role in the work of Robert Montgomery, whose works crosses many media. In work ranging from photographs, cut wood sculpture, prints, and billboards, Montgomery foregrounds poetic verses that challenge the viewer to rethink his conceptions of the world, or paint an evocative picture of another world. In contrast to Montgomery’s carefully crafted words, some artists incorporate text into their work via found objects. Richard Meier’s Dal collages include words of unknown origins, their original context now subsumed by the larger composition. Other artists who use text in their work include Glenn Ligon, Deborah Kass, Roger Herman, Rochelle Feinstein, and Robert Indiana.