ephemeral states | transient texts on temporary subjects

Space considerations have prevented a comprehensive index to be published in Volume. So as to preserve the document and provide a kind of preview to the book, I publish the full index here. Future dedicated readers could print it out and include it with their copy. Or, perhaps, those reading on their iPads might link [...]

A new essay, “Design’s Just Dessert,” has been posted at Voice: the AIGA Journal of Design. The essay is the second “bonus track” (the first was “I Believe in Design” at Design Observer) from the “Volume” sessions—written along with the new essays for the book but not to be included. Big thanks to ODU design [...]

For Eye magazine’s summer 2009 “Agenda” section, Steven Heller produced another cult alert. By titling the piece “Cult of the Squiggly,” he obviously meant to invoke his earlier, infamous “Cult of the Ugly” essay. It’s a fair reference: both articles decry and advocate suppression of anti-Modern graphic design phenomena Heller deems disadvantageous to the field. [...]

Thirty-one artists have been selected from nearly (perhaps over) 80 applicants for the Repurposes exhibition to be held at the Ellin and Baron Gordon Galleries at Old Dominion University, March 20–April 18, 2010. The artists come from around the world, with work representing a wide variety of media, including artist books, print, text, design, photography, [...]

On election day 2004, I volunteered to hand out literature at my polling place for John Kerry. It was a first for me and I didn’t know how people would respond. I knew I’d encounter voters of other persuasions and political passions can run hot. For company, I brought along my then six year old [...]

This year’s Valentine card from Marian Bantjes was a design laser-cut from a repurposed Christmas card. (Weeks in advance of the day, she was soliciting donations of old cards via Facebook.) Each card is therefor unique, as far as the card design is concerned. An additional delight was the illustration of a Cupid’s arrow-shot Santa [...]