"Hal's Alphabet" is an ongoing series of alphabetical artworks painted in emulsion paint. These beautiful giclée prints on German etching paper measure 16 x 20 inches and are printed to order. Hal was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was 7 years old and was the first child in his school to receive a diagnosis. Almost immediately his relationship with letters changed, a bit like how a recently diagnosed lactose intolerant person might feel sitting next to a tub of ice cream: "That's there, and I'm here, but that's not for me". That's not to say that Hal didn't like letters, just as someone who can't eat dairy may occasionally indulge in a tub of ice cream, but he had a valid reason not to engage with them, one that was well documented and understood by those around him. Despite his diagnosis, and the support he received, Hal never quite felt the conversations about dyslexia sounded like what he was experiencing. When he looked at a page, the words or letters didn't move around or jumble up, and, if he put his mind to it, spelling wasn't too much of an issue either. He actually enjoyed writing (on his own terms) and reading (if he was in a quiet, comfortable room), not to mention his love for Paul Rand and typographic design. It was putting his mind to anything that he found most challenging, especially when the conditions weren't conducive or the subject matter wasn't of interest. But, being so young, he didn't think too much of it, and wore his dyslexia with pride. Now 28 years old and feeling more able to articulate what goes on in his brain, Hal has been recently diagnosed with combination ADHD. After 21 more years of coping with distraction and overstimulation, he's begun to feel that perhaps dyslexia was never his issue. That perhaps, if he can focus properly, he can rebuild his relationship with letters. Currently he is working on this through his newsletter (if he remembers to write it) and in this print series: "Hal's Alphabet", for which meticulously hand-painting each slightly wonky Helvetica character feels almost ceremonial. He is still, however, very much lactose intolerant, and won't be testing that any time soon.
