/ˈsen(t)əns/ to be precise.
/ˈsen(t)əns/is a participatory literary work that takes place in the confines of an enclosed space, large or small, public or private. Sentences are written and posted on walls, only to be commented on, erased, written over, replaced, scrunched up and thrown to the ground and/or in a corner. The pieces can also be torn down, while others on the ground are put back on the wall. The observer-participant thus becomes an active constructor of writings (a writer!) and/or a curator (!!), depending on what turns them on—the connections of sentences and how they are sequenced/read, or the composition of the words/sentences as visuals (along with the texture and three-dimensionality (frumpiness) of the paper since it’s been scrunched and put on the ground). The viewer-reader-participant becomes contributor, editor, and publisher as they choose to take down or strike-through sentences, add or elaborate on the texts, place others up on the wall. A constant battle and revision, while the papers accumulate over time, literally submerging the watcher/reader contributor/editor/censor. And yes, there is a play on the word, on how this grand endeavor, and participating in it, is a SENTENCE. Do it. Fret not. It’s all good. The sentences are light. The sentence is light. The writer’s sentence? writing sentences!
(/ˈsen(t)əns/ was first public-ed in October 2021 as part of “The Remnants” exhibition, at Hot Wood Arts, during the Red Hook Open Studios, in a three-person show, alongside work from Megan Suttles and Ethan Cornell.)