Medium: Carved oak

‘S’ was created as part of the Lettering Arts Trust exhibition ‘Living Letters.’

‘The 26 letters of the alphabet are the building blocks of our writing system. Somehow they convey the written word and the sounds of a spoken language. This random handful of lines and shapes opens up a universe of thought and shared ideas.

The marks we recognise today have been 5000 years in the making. Throughout history their visible expression has been shaped by the technologies available, by fashion and imagination. They’ve been scratched penned, brushed, printed, drawn, carved, cast and etched. As well as being functional, letters hold great graphic possibility.

The individual approach of each artist, using a variety of techniques and media, helps us look again at the 26 letters that describe our world.’ Giles Macdonald, curator.