Silke Rath

Horizont

B

Mallarmé

"Words unlock a universe.
Words carry whole worlds inside them.
Words need nothing but themselves.

A word contains all the information it needs to function. It is precisely this content I try to trace by examining single words or groups of words. What interests me above all are the associated images and ambiguities that words conceal. 'Horizont' (Horizon), for example, shows the meaning of the word in pictorial form by imitating what it designates. The many layers of a word can be revealed by taking them out of context. In texts such as 'B' or 'Mallarmé,' I dissect the word structures in an attempt to find their individual 'subtexts.' In investigating single words my approach is analytical rather than poetic. I try to give each word its space, thus creating new possibilities for interpretation.
Hamburg, 26.01.2009"

~~~~~~~

Silke Rath was born in 1976 and lives in Hamburg. She studied classical archaeology with German studies, modern German literature and history of the sciences. After graduation, she began a degree in Fine Arts, for completion in 2009. She has participated in a number of exhibitions in Germany, and published several short stories. In 2006 she won the literature competition “Der Duft des Doppelpunktes” for her short story “Leise” and in 2008 she won the “Spiel” competition for her story “Baggersee.”