E N K A U S T O S   Denis Brown, 2007.
Japanese sumi inks on Somerset paper, 27 x 30 cm; 10.5" x 12"

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Written in a personal 'polyrhythmic' style, with fast energetic pen-strokes and compressed textures contrasted with open spaces within the word.
Enkaustos, from Greek meaning 'to burn in', gave us the first word used for 'ink', which was enkaustum; see notes below.

The word ‘ink’ derives from the Latin (and Greek) ‘enkaustum’. This was the purple ink used by Roman and Byzantine Emperors for their signature. ‘Enkaustum’, in turn, derives from the Greek word ‘enkaien’, meaning ‘to burn in’ and, by inference, to leave a permanent mark. Spelling aside, the word filtered into English in the 13th century. So we find in ‘Maidan Maregrete’ (the history of St. Margaret), "So boc is writen wid enke" (this book is written with ink). And in "Cursor of the World", a Northumbrian poem of the 14th century we find: "Ne writer mai write wit inc" (you do not need to be a writer to use ink).

©2007 Denis Brown  |  www.quillskill.com