Written On/PRINTED ON

7 June 2002 - 2 August 2002

Written language sets humankind apart from other animals.  And from the day we developed the science and technique of writing, we've recorded our experiences, business accounts, beliefs, discoveries, and stories on a variety of surfaces. Rock, clay, bark, vellum, the human hand, paper made from rags, paper made from plants, colored papers, and fabrics of all sorts have all served as media for transmitting our words and ideas. 

The invention of printing did not slow us down.  Printing on animal skin, for example, validates academic degrees and honors the great, while printing on silk and linen celebrates national or institutional events. Though fast and cheap, printing on newsprint makes the text appear worthy of immediate notice; whereas printing on fine hand-made paper--a laborious and expensive process--also commands our attention and, furthermore, guarantees the text's lasting value.  In displaying evidence of these activities, this exhibition ranges from the earliest examples of cuneiform tablets to modern stone cutting, and from medieval manuscripts to printing on blue paper.  The conclusion is clear: the written or printed artifact on which human expression has been recorded is as varied as the content of that expression itself.  

---Curated by former Director of Bridwell Library Decherd Turner