the abc’s of life

One of the first things we learn in school is the alphabet. A is for apple. B is for bicycle and so on. These twenty-six letters make up words and unlimited sentences. They can whisper. They can shout. They can form multiple languages.

The ABC’s of Life” was conceived after a particularly introspective winter. I became conscious of how limited our language is and began to examine how the simplistic symbols of the alphabet could form language that could cause discomfort, wound, or create devastation. If with one or more words, a person could open a Pandora’s box, what would those words be? And if those words were repeated constantly, would the impact behind them lessen? By the same token, I questioned if selective language could represent the ugly, then what would  represent a universal symbol of beauty? I chose flowers. There are physiological responses and psychological meanings behind the symbols of flowers. They can be given as a gift, used  to manipulate, to show love or grief, and to enhance one’s surroundings. 

Created from words of taboo subjects and current global concerns, issues or trends, my alphabet represents words that are whispers. They co-exist within the beauty of the flowers. I am asking you, the viewer, have these words become so much a part of our lexicon and mainstream culture that they’ve lost their power? And, have we as a culture, lost our ability to discern truths whether in beauty or ugliness? ©2006

The ABC's of Life. Installation view. 2012                                            Centre painting: Sounds We'll Never Know. 1993.                             mixed media on board

The ABC's of Life. Installation view. 2012