Through the years, conceptual artist Julie Wolfe has collected images and data of varying colors, forms, and languages. They share no apparent connection. In this volume, Wolfe brings these fragments together despite their randomness to build meaning. Drawing on apophenia—a phenomenon in cognitive science in which humans seek out patterns amid incidental data—she examines what it means to perceive.
As I approached this project, I steeped myself in the artwork’s surreal atmosphere and considered how my design could serve to extend Wolfe’s artistic practice. Choosing an oversize 265 x 330 mm format meant that I could build on Wolfe’s already immersive viewing experience and allow the relationships between images to flow and unfold across each page.
The type, set in Genath and Theinhardt for their historical resonance, balances expression and legibility. And inverted typographic treatments reinforce the book’s exploration of perception, ambiguity, and disruption. I also searched for a way to amplify the atmospheric experience. Wolfe typically uses pinks and reds in her artwork, and during production I replaced the original magenta ink with fluorescent pink, creating a luminous, dreamlike palette.
D&AD Wood Pencil, 2024
