Reading (il)legible Pages

Hall, John (2004) Reading (il)legible Pages. Performance Research, 9 (2). pp. 15-23. ISSN 1352-8165

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Abstract / Summary

Hall, who has contributed articles to this journal since its inception in 1996, was specifically invited by one of the issue editors to contribute an article on reading the apparently illegible as an application and extension of the approach developed in ‘Eluded Readings’ (see reference above). It is in many ways a companion piece to ‘Time-play-space’, though here the central issue is resistance rather than time. Both articles engage the visual qualities and materiality of text. Where the other article explores multiple modalities of time in relation to the material visual presence of writing, here there is an exploration of modalities of legibility. The issue also contains a companion piece, entitled ‘Reading a Polished Page’, which is a close reading of a photograph by the artist and performer, Tanja Dabo, also included in the issue. This appears in two formats: as a hand-written artist’s page and on the DVD that was included in the back cover. The main article includes two illustrative pieces, versions of which have been exhibited in three galleries, as part of an exhibition ‘Performance Writing (1994-2004)’ (Exeter Phoenix, 29/4-16/5/04; Dartington Gallery, 24-30/5/04; and the Fine Arts Gallery, George Mason University, Washington DC, 10-18/11/04).

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