Geraldine Booth exposes the cult of the self in her show stopping exhibit 'Seeing Words' at the Rock Island Coffee Shop on Reid Street.

August normally brings the hot summer rush but for many people, Ms Booth's artwork stopped them cold in their tracks.

"I see society as a peak of sophistication and leisure time for the average person to refine aspirations and figure out who they are in an individualistic way. But this can lead to disappointment in the end because we are constantly seeking improvement and self development. There are highs but then lows. It's a rush for the next drive, for a goal to be achieved, a standard ticked off on the list. We are a disillusioned bunch," said the artist.

With her first show, Ms Booth's takes away the disillusionment from the written word, the "bookishness" away from the deeper messages in text. Her art covers the walls of Rock Island, literally, with some pieces consisting of graffiti scribbled through entranceways and in the lavatory.

"It is academically unusual for text to be scrawled on the wall. It is written on the wall, but it's a formal statement.You can have people experience things if it is presented in accessible way, or in direct enough way for people to get the message. Graffiti's juxtaposition with violence means graffiti is a desperate cry to deface, and graffiti is a strong indication to be where you are," she said.

"I want people to experience words."

Ms Booth first studied literature and languages at Oxford University, and later worked in public relations, teaching and copywriting. The 35-year-old had focused her study on philosophy, where she encountered the ideas of Post Modernism.

Her wish to revamp the written word is proved tangible every day by the customers who stand absorbed at the implications of Booth's Post Modernism dialogue in works like 'Piece of My Mind', 'Focal Point', and 'Cynic'.

"In Western society we have more money and comforts, mod cons. We have it good because we are exposed to high standards. We are more sophisticated and educated. We enjoy reflection and looking inwards, therapy. We have the time to go after things for ourselves. It's a closing in, but not a family closeness. The cult of the self leaves us fragile," she said in.

Why Rock Island for her work? "Rock Island has a flow of viewers from all backgrounds, not just people who go to art shows knowing what to expect. There is a real reaction, it's far more open and people aren't looking for art, that means a lot more."

To bring the "power and beauty of words" to public places so they are not lost in "the frenzy of life" is the message on a small plaque introducing the show to viewers.

"We have more leisure time, but a sense for rushing around. People choose the force of entertainment, they don't choose to sit and read book. This show is to put that element back into a place where people sit, encouraging them to stop and think in a rushing place."

Ms Booth's reactions to the post modernist lifestyle are honed in two different styles, the philosophical and the internal. Her pieces involve the viewer in personal poetry and conceptual world philosophy. Her inspiration flows despite society's highs and lows, "Creativity ensues at the end of the day, if one situation spiritually and metaphysically affects you and there are reasons to produce then there is still something to be said."

'Seeing Words' will be up in Rock Island Coffee Shop until the end of August. Ms Booth can be contacted at 505-7567 or geraldinebooththerock.bm.