Ann Hamilton

In this work, Ann Hamilton wrote on a printmaking plate, the loops of her handwriting blending into an ocean of texture. Hamilton uses blind embossment, the process of running a printmaking plate through a press with no ink, leaving only indentations on the paper. Here, the impression of the act of writing remains. 

wreathe speaks of the human urge to carve on trees, paint on rocks, and scribble on school desks—to leave a mark just to say you were here, with the hope of connection.

–Page Sonnet Sullivan (RISD BFA 2025, Photography), department assistant 2023–2025

Known for her sensual installations, Ann Hamilton is as interested in verbal and written language as she is in imagery, and she sees speaking, writing and drawing as related and interchangeable. Her use of language and text is often deliberately indecipherable. Embossed on the sheet is layer upon layer of handwriting. The bumps and incisions reveal a script that is discernible but not legible, and each layer cancels out everything that was recorded before it. In this way, the physicality of the script becomes primary, and we witness a highly personal missive as she records information of significance known only to her.