In our relevant/irrelevant opinion, if an art’s meaning is clear, it is weaker for it — art should, at least in part, provide insight/joy into the weirdness of our confident understanding. “I am from Long Island.” “Up there is the sun.” These common phrases mean nearly nothing. And jeez when people start casually and confidently espousing abstract thoughts, without any caveats as to the transcendental difficulties of such attempts: 🙄🙄🙄
Keeping this in mind whilst looking at the books of Norwegian publisher Arkitektfaglig Presse — particularly the cover for their “Under Under” series Vol. 3 (pictured above) — this notion of commonplace abstraction or, specifically in this case, what we have been calling typographic abstraction — this notion is clear (or fruitfully unclear). To represent two architects as complex and speculative as Andrea Branzi and Luis Callejasas, with simple black sans initials, on a stormy blue field, is totally disorienting and nearly meaningless — which is a perfect place to start any meaningful discussion.
Keeping this in mind whilst looking at the books of Norwegian publisher Arkitektfaglig Presse — particularly the cover for their “Under Under” series Vol. 3 (pictured above) — this notion of commonplace abstraction or, specifically in this case, what we have been calling typographic abstraction — this notion is clear (or fruitfully unclear). To represent two architects as complex and speculative as Andrea Branzi and Luis Callejasas, with simple black sans initials, on a stormy blue field, is totally disorienting and nearly meaningless — which is a perfect place to start any meaningful discussion.