Morgan O'Hara : The Shape of Discourse

Morgan O’Hara wrote of the exhibition, Morgan O’Hara: The Shape of Discourse/Ephemera, saying “This series of works is based on the movement of the hands of people who work with words as a primary interest: poets, lectures, writers, politicians, attorneys, conversationalists, graphic designers and others. The source drawings are entitled LIVE TRANSMISSIONS. To make the LIVE TRANSMISSION drawings I hold a pencil in each hand in front of a piece of paper. I then observe the movement of the hands of the subject and mirror his or her movement by drawing the movement pattern in real time on the paper. If the person makes a particularly delicate movement, I make a corresponding delicate line. If the person makes a strong or aggressive gesture, I make a corresponding forceful line. The black forms for THE SHAPE OF DISCOURSE series come from the line drawings. They show the basic shape produced by the movement of the hands of the speaker on a particular occasion. Details of the particular occasions are written as titles of the drawings. The choice of these particular 36 occasions is very selective and is meant to be seen not as a random selection of individual activities or speakers but as a sociological and psychological reflection on word activities at the approach of the turn of this century. It is also a statement about my own particular life with its time / space / interest coordinates. Some of the activities were suggested by people who know of my work and who feel certain activities should be represented in this body of work.”