Letter A 15th-16th century

Curator: Immediately striking is the density, how much narrative detail is packed into the Letter A. Editor: This woodcut, simply titled "Letter A" and of unknown origin, speaks volumes about power structures implicit in language itself. Curator: Absolutely. Notice the embedded imagery, the struggle between figures, perhaps a lion and a human form, obscured within the letterform. Editor: The bestial and the human locked in conflict, framing the very foundation of articulation. Is this a commentary on the violence inherent in establishing order? Curator: It’s tempting to see it that way, considering how often alphabets are used to codify law and dictate social norms. Editor: A tiny key, almost, that unlocks an entire discourse on control. It asks us to question the supposed neutrality of language. Curator: Yes, and to consider what stories are being suppressed within the very letters we use. Editor: Makes you rethink your ABCs, doesn’t it?