b is for bibliophilic

Oil on Canvas, 91 x 91 cm—Full Image

This oil painting is the winner in the City of Swan Art Award 20I7.

 Please see also my post in the ‘news’ section with photos of my winning artwork and the art exhibition at the Ellenbrook Gallery.

This oil painting is part of my alphabet series, part of the series “Re:Cursive” (“Scripted”). I am stepping into the almost abandoned cultural space of handwriting with a hyper-focus back to the alphabet: an artistic exploration that began with the Cubists. I am painting the letters of our alphabet, one by one, creating cursive patterns. As I meditate on each letter, a word arises and resonates. It anchors my reflections and reveals something of myself. The inclusion of a single word allows me to map and integrate multiple levels of meaning into my being and world view.

The letter of this art work is ‘b’. I have chosen the word “bibliophilc” because I am. My rooms are full of books, prescribed by an ancient Greek philosopher:

A room without books is like a body without a soul.” —Cicero

Not only my rooms are full of books, my whole house is—following the advice by Dr Seuss:

  Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.”
—Dr. Seuss

I also use libraries, in any city, any town. My first ventures in a new city are to the zoo and to the library:

   The only thing you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.”
—Albert Einstein

Having so many books means I have to go through them every two years, decide which ones I will not read again and give them away. Books will always be part of my life. am bibliophilic. I will always be a bibliophile.

Please find the full artist statement for the series “Re:Cursive” in the artwork section, with the painting “a is for arresting.”