Chris Orr - A Tea Party (You are all Welcome)

“A Tea Party (You are all Welcome)”. Lewis Carroll’s enchanting story and the original illustrations by Tenniel for Alice in Wonderland are part of many people’s upbringing. My mother got Alice as a school prize in March 1920 for being first in English and Mathematics and 4th in General Progress. I like to think that it was in the back of her mind throughout her life. It has influenced me (I still have her copy of the book).

In re working the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, I have pushed the scene a step further by collapsing the tea table and threatening the whole affair with Hokusai’s great wave. 2 lobsters are dancing (not quite a quadrille) and the Cheshire Cat is chasing a clockwork mouse. You may notice that the mad hatter has a ticket for Bit Coin stuck in his hat. The all important question is not “What is the meaning of life?” but “Why is a raven like a writing desk?””