Words to Grieve, Part #1

Words to Grieve, Part #1 (2021) is the first part of a project by Emily Simpson and Chris Alton, regarding the English vocabulary for grief.

Vocabulary informs the parameters of our thoughts, expression, and communication; and cultures typically have wide vocabularies for that which they deem to be significant. When Emily and Chris were both bereaved in early 2016, they each found the English vocabulary regarding grief to be lacking. This lack is due – in part – to a wider cultural distancing from death. When a culture doesn't provide the words for something, it can feel shameful, making it even harder for people to grieve.

As the first stage of this project, Emily and Chris have held conversations regarding vocabulary and grief, with a view to creating new words. They have produced 6 posters that gesture towards the creation of new words; definitions come into focus and annotations provide glimpses of the surrounding conversations, thought processes, and word roots. The intention is to give a sense of work in progress. In the future, they hope to collaborate with linguists to forge words that express these concepts.

For more information, an interview, and to download the posters, click here.

Press:
Manchester artists unveil bold new works, Alan Brown, About Manchester, 11/11/2021