Description
Rewriting Ulysses or Penelope’s Trees is a series of eighteen textile “drawings” displayed in a grid. Each drawing represents one of the eighteen letters in the ancient Irish Tree Alphabet. The letters were made by cutting into strips and spinning all of the pages of a 1997 Everyman’s Library edition of Ulysses by James Joyce. Each of the letters is made using the pages from one of the eighteen chapters of the book. The first letter is the first chapter, and so on. A variety of weaving, spinning and knot-making techniques were used.
Statement
When I was creating the forms of the letters for Rewriting Ulysses or Penelope’s Trees, I drew inspiration from the illuminated letters in the Book of Kells, an ancient illustrated manuscript containing the four gospels. I also incorporated in each paper-thread drawing, the leaf shape of the corresponding letter in the Irish alphabet (for example, the D letter is for Dair, which is Oak in English – see full list below). The Irish Tree Alphabet and the Book of Kells were both inspirations to James Joyce. I combined these two sources in Rewriting Ulysses or Penelope’s Trees.
Karen Trask & Don Goodes, 2025
The Irish Tree Alphabet
Chapter one: B for Beith in Ogham or Old Irish, Birch in English, Bouleau en français
Chapter two: L for Luis in Ogham or Old Irish, Rowan in English, Sorbier en français
Chapter three: F for Fern in Ogham or Old Irish, Alder in English, Aulne en français
Chapter four: S for Sail in Ogham or Old Irish, Willow in English, Saule en français
Chapter five: N for Nion in Ogham or Old Irish, Ash in English or Frène en français
Chapter six: H for Huath in Ogham or Old Irish, Hawthorn in English, Aubépine en français
Chapter seven: D for Dair in Ogham or Old Irish, Oak in English, Chêne en français
Chapter eight: T for Tinne in Ogham or Old Irish, Holly in English, Houx en français
Chapter nine: C for Coll in Ogham or Old Irish, Hazel in English, Noisetier en français
Chapter ten: Q for Qeirt in Ogham or Old Irish, Apple in English, Pomme en français
Chapter eleven: M for Muin in Ogham or Old Irish, Vine in English, Vigne en français
Chapter twelve: G for Gort in Ogham or Old Irish, Ivy in English, Lière en français
Chapter thirteen: R for Ruis in Ogham or Old Irish, Elder in English, Sureau en français
Chapter fourteen: A for Ailm in Ogham or Old Irish, Elm in English, Orme en français
Chapter fifteen: O for Onne in Ogham or Old Irish, Gorse in English, Ajoncs en français
Chapter sixteen: U for Úr in Ogham or Old Irish, Heather in English, Bruyère en français
Chapter seventeen: E for Eadhadh in Ogham or Old Irish, Poplar in English, Peuplier en français
Chapter eighteen: I for Iodhadh in Ogham or Old Irish, Yew in English, If en français