Page 26, Line 26 by Claris Harvey

Inspired by page 26, line 26 of 'Dancers on a Plane' by John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and Jasper Johns.

The right hand side of the drawing shows an arm. The drawing - in fine charcoal, illustrates that the owner of the arm was of high standing and significance within the community. The arm, as it has been depicted illustrates a unique and ancient type of census document. It details every member of an ancient sea faring community, numbering precisely 260 people.

Tendons from the rotator cuff are shown tangling freely across the large parchment as if they are the arms of an Octopus. The parchment appears to be made of seal skin. Along the tendons, continuing in the theme - suckers are carefully drawn. Within these suckers we see numerous faces. Babies to teenagers through to faces folded with age. Many faces with their eyes closed, which we can only assume to be that of the dead. These ones are shown with seal like whiskers. A creature of unknown genesis also appears. At the end of each flowing tendon are eight individual egg shaped visages.

These faces show the advancement of life from foetus through to death. Although naïve in some respects the evolution - particularly of the foetus stage is remarkable, given of course we are dating back some 30,000 years. The foetus and the death eggs show stitching around them both, with human hair. They appear as one egg. The left hand corner of the parchment shows a fingerprint in blood. That of the artist or perhaps that from the missing arm. The first signature perhaps.

Claris Harvey