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A work with conceptual depths relating to writing; it's history as a foundation of culture in east and west; and to the continuing displacement of handwriting in today's digital lifestyles. Full image enlarged: Click here Cool enlarged detail 1: Click here Cool enlarged detail 2: Click here Cool enlarged detail 3: Click here Cool enlarged detail 4: Click here
A common question by those who have seen the original:
This is a large 8 foot by 5.5 foot installation, (240cm x 170cm), from floor to ceiling, built across an alcove in a domestic room. Two central columns are built of up to 12 overlapping layers of writing engraved onto 6 sheets of clear plexiglas (perspex). These sheets are spaced apart to a total depth of about 6" or 15cm. The feathery textures at the sides were achieved by 'sand-papering' the layers of plexiglas with diamond-chip abrasive blocks, using vigorous gestural strokes. The adjacent wall has been gilt to add color to an otherwise predominantly black and white room theme.
'Body of Text' is a work full of ironic juxtapositions. Conventionally, writing depends on ink, but this writing is inkless... thousands of words have been scratched into both sides of six sheets of clear plexiglas (perspex) without any ink at all. They float away from & above an ink-splashed background sheet. But it is this dark background (painted in sumi inks onto acetate) which makes the engraved writing visible. Visible, yes; but not legible- this text obliterates itself by many overlapping repetitions. Semantic meaning is lost, but an image emerges- an eight foot tall figure appears from this 'body of text'.
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Plan view illustrating the third dimension. Red suggests areas of acrylic sheet that are covered in writing |
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The text is formed of two columns, the left hand side is written from top to bottom, the right hand side from bottom to top. A central channel widens towards eye level and is filled with broken bits of oriental sumi ink sticks and splashes of ink. Some of the fragments of the stick inks bear oriental characters in gold. As with the text, these are arranged over the 6 spaced sheets of plexiglas (perspex) to produce a 3-D form with a total depth of up to 6 inches, or 15cm. The most careful viewers of the original work may be able to read a text presented on the front sheet of plexiglas (perspex), though it's relatively formal letterforms have been almost scribbled out by totally informal text written on the reverse of the same sheet of plexiglas (perspex). The text reads:
Top: Denis Brown views his work. Lower- close detail. Click images for an enlargements. Above: Detail showing broken fragments of sumi ink sticks amidst splashes of ink at left, and 3-D layered textures of writing at right. In the depths of this texture, the writing is semi-formal capitals, but it rises to the top as a casual scribble. Close viewing of the original work reveals more formal lettering amidst what at first may seem a pile of scribbles. (The scribble above conceals the words 'illuminated by darkness'). The complete work is composed so that the writing transitions from formal lettering to scribbles in a structured manner.
For more works by Denis Brown themed on ink click here
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