Alice Anne - Artist Statement 2

Alice Anne Ellis – Artist Statement

I am interested in exploring the spectrum of meaning found in writing, particularly handwriting.

At one end of the spectrum, people read and write with fluency and comprehension in a common language. Towards the other end, a small child "copies" an adult's writing with a scribble, with no understanding of the shape or meaning of the letters, yet insists that it is "writing." In between are many shades of understanding and meaning. Unlike the child, an illiterate adult knows what letters are, but can't read. I recognize some words in Spanish, and I am familiar with all the letters, but I can't read Spanish. Sometimes, even among people who write in the same language, communication is clouded by obscure handwriting.

The purpose of writing is also varied. Usually, it's used to convey complex communication. Sometimes it's used as a mark of ownership, like the paint daubed on a sheep's fleece by a farmer. Sometimes the act of writing was used as a punishment, as when the school boy was told to write 100 "lines" in the hope that the boring task would act as a deterrent, and the content ("I must always follow school rules and must always reply to my teacher in a respectful manner") would sink into his brain.

What is writing but marks? The marks themselves have rhythms and connotations. "O" is like the shape a mouth makes when a person says "O." "W" looks like the waves in water. A paragraph has its own texture. We may only become aware of that texture when the meaning of the words is obscured. Obfuscation of one lens brightens another.