Discussion Questions
Atomic Alphabet
Chris Burden
April 2016
Chris Burden, The Atomic Alphabet, 1980; collection SFMOMA, Ruth and Moses Lasky Fund purchase; © Chris Burden
- Look at this artwork for a moment. Describe the various things you see.
- Observe the text. What do you notice about it? What relationships do each of the words have to the others? To the images?
- What do you know about the history of atomic warfare?
- Why do you think the artist selected these particular words and images? What message do you think the work conveys?
- If you were going to create your own alphabet about a historical or political topic, what topic would you choose, and why?
