Alphabetica, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Manuka

My first solo exhibition, 2002.

Photos by Brenton McGeachie. Scroll for words about the show.

Arabian Nights, Atlantis Blue, Aztec Green, Bawdy, Blaxland, Blue Heaven, Blue Heron, assemblage, plastic pens on acrylic sheet (Copy) — Arabian Nights, Atlantis Blue, Aztec Green, Bawdy, Blaxland, Blue Heaven, Blue Heron, assemblage, plastic pens on acrylic sheet

2002 *Alphabetica*, Canberra Contemporary Art Space Manuka.

Arabian Nights, Atlantis Blue, Aztec Green, Bawdy, Blaxland, Blue Heaven, Blue Heron (randomised version) (Copy) — Arabian Nights, Atlantis Blue, Aztec Green, Bawdy, Blaxland, Blue Heaven, Blue Heron (randomised version)

Arabian Nights, Atlantis Blue, Aztec Green, Bawdy, Blaxland, Blue Heaven, Blue Heron (Copy) — Arabian Nights, Atlantis Blue, Aztec Green, Bawdy, Blaxland, Blue Heaven, Blue Heron

2002, assemblage of plastic pens on acrylic sheet, order and randomised version.

Bohemian Rhapsody, Castlebury, Chili Bean (sic), Colonial Rose, Cool Trim, Da Blues, Dark Secret, randomised version (Copy) — Bohemian Rhapsody, Castlebury, Chili Bean (sic), Colonial Rose, Cool Trim, Da Blues, Dark Secret, randomised version

Bohemian Rhapsody, Castlebury, Chili Bean (sic), Colonial Rose, Cool Trim, Da Blues, Dark Secret (Copy) — Bohemian Rhapsody, Castlebury, Chili Bean (sic), Colonial Rose, Cool Trim, Da Blues, Dark Secret

Dazzling, Ebony Blue, Foster, Fuchsia Berry, Garnish, Governor Bay, Gravel Path (Copy) — Dazzling, Ebony Blue, Foster, Fuchsia Berry, Garnish, Governor Bay, Gravel Path

Dazzling, Ebony Blue, Foster, Fuchsia Berry, Garnish, Governor Bay, Gravel Path (radomised) (Copy) — Dazzling, Ebony Blue, Foster, Fuchsia Berry, Garnish, Governor Bay, Gravel Path (radomised)

Green Dash, Indian Jade, Martinique, Mattel Pink, Nasturtium, Mt Kosciusko (sic), NCS Edition II S1060 R20B (Copy) — Green Dash, Indian Jade, Martinique, Mattel Pink, Nasturtium, Mt Kosciusko (sic), NCS Edition II S1060 R20B

Green Dash, Indian Jade, Martinique, Mattel Pink, Nasturtium, Mt Kosciusko (sic), NCS Edition II S1060 R20B (randomised) (Copy) — Green Dash, Indian Jade, Martinique, Mattel Pink, Nasturtium, Mt Kosciusko (sic), NCS Edition II S1060 R20B (randomised)

Green Dash, Indian Jade, Martinique, Mattel Pink, Nasturtium, Mt Kosciusko (sic), NCS Edition II S1060 R20B (detail) (Copy) — Green Dash, Indian Jade, Martinique, Mattel Pink, Nasturtium, Mt Kosciusko (sic), NCS Edition II S1060 R20B (detail)

NGS Edition |I S1075 G20, NCS Edition I S1075 G80Y, New Orleans, North Shore, Pansy, Pantone 2764U, Pantone 3660 (Copy) — NGS Edition |I S1075 G20, NCS Edition I S1075 G80Y, New Orleans, North Shore, Pansy, Pantone 2764U, Pantone 3660

NGS Edition |I S1075 G20, NCS Edition I S1075 G80Y, New Orleans, North Shore, Pansy, Pantone 2764U, Pantone 3660 (randomised) (Copy) — NGS Edition |I S1075 G20, NCS Edition I S1075 G80Y, New Orleans, North Shore, Pansy, Pantone 2764U, Pantone 3660 (randomised)

Passion, Pecan Pie, Persian Blue, Razzle Dazzle, Siren Song, Sunset Boulevard, Tyrean Purple (Copy) — Passion, Pecan Pie, Persian Blue, Razzle Dazzle, Siren Song, Sunset Boulevard, Tyrean Purple

Bohemian Rhapsody, Castlebury, Chili Bean (sic), Colonial Rose, Cool Trim, Da Blues, Dark Secret (randomised) (Copy) — Bohemian Rhapsody, Castlebury, Chili Bean (sic), Colonial Rose, Cool Trim, Da Blues, Dark Secret (randomised)

Bohemian Rhapsody, Castlebury, Chili Bean (sic), Colonial Rose, Cool Trim, Da Blues, Dark Secret (detail) (Copy) — Bohemian Rhapsody, Castlebury, Chili Bean (sic), Colonial Rose, Cool Trim, Da Blues, Dark Secret (detail)

Dazzling, Ebony Blue, Foster, Fuchsia Berry, Garnish, Governor Bay, Gravel Path (randomised) (Copy) — Dazzling, Ebony Blue, Foster, Fuchsia Berry, Garnish, Governor Bay, Gravel Path (randomised)

Installation view (Copy) — Installation view

My first solo exhibition held at CCAS Manuka in 2002. It consisted of two related bodies of work based on the alphabetical arrangement of paint colour names. The order of the colours of the plastic pens in the assemblages derived from the alphabetical ordering of their colour names as determined by a commercial paint shop spectrometer. These became the titles of the works. The colours and their names propose synaesthetic combinations that completely override any aesthetic preference of my own.

The work addressed order and chaos, legibility and illegibility, and the infinite combinatory possibilities of colour and language. Jorge Luis Borges' short story, "The Library of Babel” was a touchstone for this work. The epigraph from the story, itself taken from the 1621 work ‘The Anatomy of Melancholy’ by Robert Burton summarises this body of work: "By this art you may contemplate the variation of the 23 letters".