You are not paying attention

You Are Not Paying Attention is a text work that brings a commonly felt but rarely spoken sentence into public view. The phrase belongs to everyday life—it exists in classrooms, conversations, relationships, and meetings—yet it is often left unsaid because saying it directly can feel confrontational or impolite. The work captures this familiar social hesitation and gives the sentence a visible form.

Like other works in the Say It Out Loud series, the piece explores the gap between what is observed and what is spoken. The sentence functions as a quiet assertion of presence: it acknowledges that communication is not only about speaking, but also about being heard. By placing this phrase into a visual field, the work turns a moment of internal frustration into a shared, almost humorous recognition.

There is also a subtle shift in power within the sentence. It is a simple statement, but it changes the roles within a space—it calls for awareness, for attention, for acknowledgment. When presented as an artwork, the phrase no longer belongs to one person addressing another; instead, it exists independently in the room, addressing anyone who encounters it.

The work continues the series’ interest in language as behavior rather than just text. The sentence is not only something to read; it is something to feel. It creates a small moment of self-awareness, making the viewer briefly conscious of their own presence, their own attention, and their role within the space.

You are not paying attention | Ink and acrylics on canvas | 21 x 16.5 inches | 2020-21