’Signs of the Times, A coded history of alphabets and communication’ is a series of works by artist Paul Flack who collaborated with me on hidden messages and codes in art:
Inspired by the complex evolution of alphabets, words and symbols sculptor Paul Flack has been interested in language and its meaning for many years. Cryptic meaning suffuses his work, which is a blend of words and symbols from many different cultures. Hieroglyphs and runes jostle for space with modern alphabets and binary code on painted canvasses, stone carvings and sculptures. The outcome is a fluid mixture of man-made meaning and universal, geometric shapes.
Paul’s collaboration with Annie Machon — a leading civil liberties activist and former MI5 intelligence officer — has enabled him to take his understanding of codes, censorship and the secretive side of language to a new level.
“We live in an age of spoon-fed information and extreme censorship. I want people to think about the origins of language and how it binds cultures together, as opposed to separating them” — Paul Flack
“It’s a cliché, but you really shouldn’t believe everything you read. History is written by the victorious and today’s ruling élite is certainly no less ruthless in its approach to secrecy and censorship.” — Annie Machon
“If this sounds a bit controversial, all the better. Some alternative views of recent events are encoded into the work, and if you look hard enough you will find them.
“Of course, what you do with the information is up to you,” — Paul Flack
Coda: Sadly, Paul died unexpectedly in 2008. His was a rare and beautiful spirit, and he is much missed by his many friends.