Context: The Written Word includes the work of Richard Burkett, Holly Hanessian,
Scott Rench, and Nancy Selvin. Each artist incorporates letters, words, and/or
text into their work. Used as surface decoration, as conceptual content or as
narrative, the letters, words, and/or text provide both visual and cognitive
stimuli. The words may or may not be relevant to the subject matter of the piece
but may provide clues to the conceptual content. This use of letters, words
and/or text grows out of the Media Art movement. Media in this case does not
refer to the physical constituents of art but to various means of communication
such as newspapers, television, advertising posters, and billboards—mass
media.
