Untitled (Run)

Christopher Wool's "Word" paintings focus on words or expressions with various meanings, particularly as they are broken up in composition like the present RU/N. Wool calls out to his audience, "RUN" thus placing them at the edge of violence into a world of chaos and confusion. The word, "RUN", is an element of everyday speech that, when taken out of context and broken down (RN stacked on top of each other with the U as bridge) takes on a new meaning. The vacillation between legibility and illegibility is a source of tension in the work. The visual harshness of the lettering commands immediate attention, as does his choice of a commercially derived letter type customarily used to covey straightforward information.