nodes & links

Jason Kottke talks about the emotional impact of a black and white line graph. The kinetics of a simple line provokes more than we could ever imagine.

The iconic chart of modernist movements drawn by Alfred Barr in 1936 illuminates the question of oversimplifcation. Barr was the first director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and prepared this diagram for the influential exhibition Cubism and Abstract Art. The diagram distinctly uses causal arrows to link and demonstrate how one art movement formulated and shaped another. As Edward Tufte succinctly summarizes in Beautiful Evidence, “The paths of artistic influence — the verbs of this analysis — are shown [here] by 51 links (49 solid lines, 2 dotted).” Indeed, in 51 lines, this diagram served to organize an otherwise complicated history by showing how one movement develops into the next. The definitive nature of this visual provides an authoritative view of the progression of modern art history, but it also raises a lot of questions. The visual simplicity of Barr’s chart — the black or red single-headed arrows, dotted lines, and type size changes — implies a linear and quantifiable flow to this artistic progression. But creativity, as we know it, is hardly so. Artistic movements are fueled by human relationships, friendship circles, exchanges between mentors and protégés, to just name a few. They are bound by intangible, at times accidental influences that propel one school of thought to the next. Yet, none of this humanity — perhaps the real substance behind movements of any kind — is present. Only an ultra-modern and stoic representation stands.

Here it is! One of eight newly designed interdepartmental envelopes that is circulating around RISD’s campus. Formally leading the sender to the receiver, one can trace back the entire network and history of this envelope once it’s used up. Stay tune to see the rest. Used here to deliver something to our esteemed Grad Coordinator. Let me know if you want one.

Are genealogical charts representative of the complicated and intricate relationships that link generations together? Food for thought.