An artist explores the demise of the English language due to the impact of “textspeak” at a new exhibition in The William Morris Gallery.
In ‘Language cannot be dead’, artist Adam Hogarth takes phrases found on the internet and mobile phone communications and presents them as a series of crafted etchings on a background of William Morris’s own textile designs.
There are also two large floral tributes which include a clever reduction of famous Morris Quote “Give me love and work, these two only” to simply “GIVE ME LUV N WORK”.
Hogarth invokes the spirit of Morris because he believes the socialist campaigner's work preserving traditional craft techniques can be applied to the English language.
Adam Hogarth said: “The exhibition explores my concern that the condensing of language online is reducing the potential for expression.
“I use William Morris as a point of reference because of his belief in preserving and protecting traditional craft techniques.
"I believe that his attitude towards the preservation of a creative legacy can be applied to language within the modern age.”
The free exhibition can be found in the discovery lounge and tea room until August 30.
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