The work in this exhibition at MCASD Downtown, drawn from the permanent collection, explores artists' use of written language as a fundamental component of visual art. In these works, text is a central element, inviting viewers to cast a critical eye on all the images and words they encounter in daily life, whether they be in an art gallery, a history book or the morning newspaper. While it is somewhat paradoxial that visual artists would turn to written word as a means for making art, the capacity of words to evoke images is an essential aspect of language, giving it a strong link to the interests and goals of artists. For many of them, working with the text is simply another way to conjure images in the mind of the viewer.

Language: Form and Function is made possible by contributions to MCASD's Annual Fund, as well as by grants from the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and the California Arts Council.