COMMUNICATING WITH PATTERN: SQUARES, CHECKS AND GRIDS
Communicating with Pattern: Squares, Checks and Grids is the third book in the series researched, written and designed by Mark Hampshire and Keith Stephenson of Absolute Zero Degrees.
The third in the highly collectible Communicating with Pattern series, Squares, Checks, and Grids celebrates the hippest but squarest, most linear patterns in every design discipline.
Squares and checks represent order, mathematics, technical precision, minimalism, and modernism. From graphs to grids, to pixels and road signs, squares and checks make up the framework of our existence. They are also embedded in the very weave of our history, from Wicca and Christian iconography to traditional checked and tartan cloths.
This book is a visual homage to squares and checks, an inspirational graphic collection of different occurrences of squares and checks from all environments, and an exciting sourcebook of pattern ideas for designers across disciplines.
Co-editions USA, Italian, Korean, Russian, Hungarian
BOOK REVIEWS
This is a great specialist keepsake for fans of the cube, offering an informative and attractive read.” Advanced Photoshop, issue 41
“Patterns make up everything that we are surrounded by in our everyday lives – buildings, clothes and even the internet. The third book in the series of Communicating with Pattern takes a look at designs that are constructed with squares, checks and grids at heart. As a result the designs are fascinating, but the meanings, histories and uses of each design are just as intriguing. “What you see depends on how you look” is a saying that has inspired many to look differently at the world. This book takes on that philosophy and shows that works of art can be made out of objects such as the Periodic Table of Elements, board games and even a computer keyboard – items you would not normally find inspiring! The layout of the colourful 256-page book itself cleverly takes the form of a compact square. It’s dominated by bright and busy images, which arranged in a grid and combined with a brief description of each image, makes reading the short snippets of information quite difficult. Despite the cluttered feel, however, we found Squares, Checks and Grids to be a great resource for generating ideas, and it certainly challenged us to think differently about how art is created.
Pick this up if you’re short of inspiration or looking to instill meaning and depth into your work. 8/10.”
Photoshop Creative, Issue 33
“This book explores how squares are embedded in our culture, from road signs to flags, representing order, mathematics and Minimalism.” Grand Designs, May 2008
“Squares, Checks and Grids is the newest title in the Communicating with Pattern series from Rotovision, is an homage to the most linear of shapes. Serving as a sourcebook for designers, the book features 850 inspirational images of squares, checks and grids in a variety of contexts.
Dozens of examples of houndstooth, tartans, argyles, ginghams and western plaids explore checks in the context of textiles. Drawing on architecture and industrial design, the book has hundreds of examples of squares with an impressive section of mosaics that includes an image of the beloved Fate/Faith installation at the Lorimer/Grand subway station in Brooklyn. Using images of space invaders and “minipops,” the tiny pixelized illustrations of popstars made by Chris Robinson, even pixels get their due.
Wtih authors Mark Hampshire and Keith Stephenson’s insightful introduction and helpful bits of context throughout the book, it’s a great resource for designers of all stripes but particularly those who like a tight grid.” Cool Hunting
“Squares, Checks, and Grids, by Mark Hampshire and Keith Stephenson, is a deliciously chunky book that uses basic design building blocks as the jumping-off point to explore enticing topics – quilts, the periodic table, and, yes, building blocks.” Print, June 2008
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/2940361827/rotovisavisualar&log=rvlink
