The language of signing communicates with lyrical clarity and creativity. To celebrate its expressiveness, gifted artist Laura Rankin presents her striking interpretation of the manual alphabet, one part of the world of signing. Here, the hand that signs "V" holds a valentine, "I" points to delicate icicles, "G" wears a mysterious glove, "O" dangles a shining ornament, "R" is entwined with ribbon - each is linked, in an imaginative way, with a word that begins with a corresponding letter of the written alphabet. The art, like the language that inspired it, is at once elegant, eloquent, and astonishing in its beauty.
The hearing world thinks of communcation primarily as a function of the voice. Yet all people use body positions, facial expressions, and gestures to communicate - silently, but with profound significance. This is the realm explored in The Handmade Alphabet: truly complete communcation that is not limited to sound, but is enriched by images.
