A carton of strategically-decorated eggs and a book titled Disillusions—which includes photos of the late Andrew Lombardi, a 2003 graduate—are two of the many pieces on display at a literary exhibit.
The Ohio University School of Art exhibit “50/50: 50 Books/50 Covers” displays a variety of books, some of which feature a more unorthodox format.
“We define the book as an object that is only defined by the method it is bound, and how you define a page,” said Don Adleta, professor and chair of the graphic design program.
The exhibit, which is a traveling American Institute of Graphic Arts exhibition, contains artwork from former Ohio University students that has been compiled through the years. The show also features “50/20: 50 Books/20 Years”, the OU graphic design collection of 50 handmade books from the past 20 years.
“By exhibiting these award-winning books, I hope that the visitors will come away with a better understanding of how design impacts our lives in many ways, books being one of them,” said Mary Beth Janssen, assistant professor of interior architecture.
The exhibit was originally set up by Sheppard “Shep” Black and Judith Connick, two members of the School of Art who helped inspire students and ran the exhibit for a number of years.
“This event is particularly important for several reasons,” said Sherry Blankenship, associate professor of graphic design. “We do more than covers; we work the content and the typography, layout, illustrations, paper and production. They can actually pick up the books and turn the pages and feel the materials.”
Adleta said the School of Art believes this show expresses the different creative mindsets within the program.
“Exhibits such as these are powerful ways to spread the topic of design and the power it possesses,” Janssen said.
wa054010@ohiou.edu
