The Mischief of Ordinary Things

Is that a swing, or a pair of glasses? Is that word ‘bar belles’ or ‘barbells’? Look again, read again; you will see images and words in a new light in The Mischief of Ordinary Things. This innovative collection of poetry by Felix Cheong is inspired by artist Sam Lay’s Life in a Notebook series, which playfully hides ordinary objects in plain sight in the artwork. So three-dimensional and seamless is the integration that you are forced to do a double take. In turn, Cheong responds to these thoughtfully cheeky images by penning poems about heartbreak, life in the workplace and art-making. Lyrical, witty and satirical, they offer an intriguing textural counterpoint to Lay's artwork, and a whole new world of meaning-making opens up. Welcome to The Mischief of Ordinary Things, where the familiar appears strange and what is strange, most familiar.