December 13, 2007
Couples — photo series by Jon Huck — reminded Christian of my recent project: Sociograms, an ongoing series of interviews that asks individuals to diagram a relationship of their choice with unlimited string and a pair of scissors. Sneak peek coming soon. via swissmiss

Couples — photo series by Jon Huck — reminded Christian of my recent project: Sociograms, an ongoing series of interviews that asks individuals to diagram a relationship of their choice with unlimited string and a pair of scissors. Sneak peek coming soon. via swissmiss

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December 12, 2007
The Informal Org

So if there’s an official organizational chart (commonly known as the ORG chart) for most large institutions and organizations, that reflects order and workflow from a top-down point of view, then what is the Informal Org chart? The term informal organization is a term that Katzenbach Partners has coined in their recent research: “Behind every formal side of a business there are hidden power structures, knowledge hubs and communication networks. We call this constellation of collaborations and relationships the informal organization.” Learn more about them or request a report here.

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December 6, 2007
Abstraction is not a new method that only pertains to our practice. The Abstract Expressionists believed that in simplifying a painting to its most reductive form, it took on an impersonal, but bold and confident quality that was a direct reaction to post Depression America. Barnett Newman’s series of Zip paintings in particular interprets the line as an abstracted form to represent the Self when viewing the work. The relationship between the individual and the painting is inferred by the vertical zip.

Abstraction is not a new method that only pertains to our practice. The Abstract Expressionists believed that in simplifying a painting to its most reductive form, it took on an impersonal, but bold and confident quality that was a direct reaction to post Depression America. Barnett Newman’s series of Zip paintings in particular interprets the line as an abstracted form to represent the Self when viewing the work. The relationship between the individual and the painting is inferred by the vertical zip.

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December 2, 2007
RGB cube of nodes and links. Well not really, but a beautiful graphical representation nonetheless. via Sarah Charlesworth

RGB cube of nodes and links. Well not really, but a beautiful graphical representation nonetheless. via Sarah Charlesworth

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Sol Lewitt’s Wall Drawings are inspiring to say the least. The directions it takes to draw the circle are precisely what is necessary to exactly translate the drawing onto the wall. Yet when you just look at the drawings themselves, they seem so effortless and simple. This additional layer of information (instructions) is what makes his pieces more intriguing. In the same way that diagrams can be flattened into a seamless representation, there’s that whole messier side that doesn’t always get revealed.

Sol Lewitt’s Wall Drawings are inspiring to say the least. The directions it takes to draw the circle are precisely what is necessary to exactly translate the drawing onto the wall. Yet when you just look at the drawings themselves, they seem so effortless and simple. This additional layer of information (instructions) is what makes his pieces more intriguing. In the same way that diagrams can be flattened into a seamless representation, there’s that whole messier side that doesn’t always get revealed.

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November 26, 2007
MFA is the new MBA

The arrow as link = powerful directional tool. Notice that an MFA is the new MBA; maybe the blood, sweat and tears are worth it after all.

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November 24, 2007
In a similar vein, this contemporary illustration by Bastien Aubry bears the more familiar networking language of nodes and links. Although the stick figures and organic lines present a more humanized version of this static structure, like the caption reads, it still shows who knows whom.

In a similar vein, this contemporary illustration by Bastien Aubry bears the more familiar networking language of nodes and links. Although the stick figures and organic lines present a more humanized version of this static structure, like the caption reads, it still shows who knows whom.

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November 20, 2007
Ad Reinhardt literally uses the tree structure to depict relationships within the art world. The hand-drawn line in this diagram makes it particularly charming.

Ad Reinhardt literally uses the tree structure to depict relationships within the art world. The hand-drawn line in this diagram makes it particularly charming.

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