Laugh Often and Much

Part of the Encoded series, this work translates the passage below first into code, then into color, allowing the richness of the text to remain ever-present for those who seek it.

Felted wool, Morse code

70”H x 25”W x 1”D

2024

To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.

—Bessie Anderson Stanley

About the Encoded Series

This series of stitched felted wool works combines man-made codes with organic materials and formations to explore how human, cultural, and natural wisdoms can hide in plain sight. The pieces transform texts gleaned from diverse sources and eras into symbols, translating them first into code, then into color before giving them final form.