Research in Child Language 1971

Curator: So here we have Robert Filliou's "Research in Child Language" from 1971, a mixed-media piece housed in two cardboard box halves. What's grabbing you right off the bat? Editor: A child's first experiments, perhaps. Or those very strange collaged fabrics sitting so squarely on the cardboard, raw material speaking to learned behaviour... Curator: Exactly! Notice how he uses materials – cardboard, scraps of fabric, colored pencil – that speak to ephemerality and process. These aren't precious materials; they're readily available, suggesting an open-ended exploration rather than a fixed conclusion. He questions the distinction between refined creation and humble resources. Editor: And it works! One box has these repetitive "a" and "b" letter forms in pastel colors, bordered crudely and there’s the ghost of childish instruction—it makes you consider who sets the standards that come to influence language formation! Curator: Good point. He was fascinated with games, chance operations, and, most importantly, the idea of eternal creation, challenging the conventional view of the artist as the sole creator. And here the materials are doing this for us. Look at how he brings what we deem garbage together to elevate them and examine language… he always pushed against definition. It's beautiful and childlike, don’t you agree? Editor: Oh, for sure, he takes the mundane and allows us to contemplate where labor, language, and learning intersect. In the other box, that textile animal resembles a naive print… the cardboard box feels like both a cradle and a display case for that little print animal, adding further to Filliou's themes. Curator: Yes, the simplicity in materials elevates what most people consider the “trash of everyday life,” creating such emotion… and Filliou's little experiment remains relevant for those of us that want to remember to let go. Editor: True. Next time I look at cardboard, I’ll remember to seek new possibilities instead of discarding its possibilities. It truly opens us up to see how everyday language creates unique forms.