Compose two styles
Rather than blending two styles into a middle, this assigns them roles: one carries the structure, the other appears as an accent. Where the two fight, it says so before you start.
How to divide the work
- Composition
- Follow Artist’s Book: Compose page by page rather than by the spread
- Type
- Set in Artist’s Book's manner (Keep text sparse and hold its position so turning has a beat), and let Concrete Poetry's lettering (One face at one size, emphasis from position and repetition only) appear only where you want the eye to catch.
- Material
- Ground in Artist’s Book's material (Paper weight and opacity, the binding, the edges, the weight in hand); bring in exactly one thing from Concrete Poetry (White paper and one black ink, quality carried by register and margin).
- Colour
- Build on #e7e0d3, #9f493c, #2b2925 and admit one accent from #f1eee5, #74716a, #151515.
Where they fight
These two are already listed as related, so the join should come easily.
Caution
- Artist’s Book Printing the work neatly in sequence gives neither the order nor the touch any role, and the result falls back into being a catalogue.
- Concrete Poetry When making a shape comes first, the meaning of the words stops answering their position, and the piece is only letters poured into a picture.
Image prompt
An original image that takes its structure from Artist’s Book (Technique, 1960s–) and its accent from Concrete Poetry (Layout, 1950s–1970s). Structural cues: The book as matter; Sequential pages; Self-publishing; Reader interaction. Accent cues, used sparingly: Repeated words; Shapes made of letters; Large blanks; Dismantled reading order. Composition: Compose page by page rather than by the spread. Type and lettering: Keep text sparse and hold its position so turning has a beat. Let one material quality come from the second style: White paper and one black ink, quality carried by register and margin. Mood: Intimacy, Rebellion, Calm, Play. Color: build on #e7e0d3, #9f493c, #2b2925 with a single accent drawn from #f1eee5, #74716a, #151515. Constraints: do not imitate, reference or name any specific artist, studio, brand, character or copyrighted work. Produce an original composition in the general period languages described above.
Related entries
- Artist’s Book 1960s– / Technique / Publishing and Editing
Designs the book as the work rather than its container, counting the binding, the sequence, the paper, the repetitions and the reader's handling as part of it.
- Concrete Poetry 1950s–1970s / Layout / Experimental Typography
Treats the placement, repetition, blank space and sound of words as the poem itself, not only what they mean.
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