2022
Indoor mural with wood panels and components
12 ft h x 40 ft w
Facebook San Francisco
Meta Open Arts

While not a rebus in the traditional usage of the term, this piece is still intended as a visual puzzle, of sorts. It is a reflection on creative process and all manner of problem-solving. Its title comes from the Latin phrase, “Not by Words, but by Things.” Patterns on the mural refer to this process: lightning for energy and ideas, ginkgo for persistence and longevity. The speech bubbles contain icons rather than words, since cognition and communication don’t always live in language. The square panels address locality and place, and refer to sites visible from the building’s windows. The wandering break line refers to earthquakes and other forms of rupture that are both destructive and generative.