PROJECT DESCRIPTION

On Letters is an epistolary essay, structured as thirteen wide-ranging and personal letters to the late conceptual artist On Kawara. Playing with language and its limits, the letters focus first on the artist’s five decade long body of “Date Paintings” and their relationship to typography. Yet from this starting point, the writing swerves to encompass topics such as the creative process, mindfulness, numbering systems, race, narrative structures, and more. On Letters is a unique glimpse into one artist’s inner dialogue and an exploration of how the solitary practice of artmaking can spark other transformations in the world.

In designing this book we strove to engage as deeply with On Kawara’s Date Paintings as Prem did in his writing. The book is printed using a custom process based on the colors of On Kawara's Today series. The typical four-color sequence of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks has been substituted with red, blue, and gray reflecting Kawara's chosen palette. Rather than aiming for visual fidelity and similitude to an original, our effort is to represent Kawara's work through and interpretation of his technique and approach to making. The typeface used throughout this book was drawn specifically for this publication, and emulates (with some expressive flourishes) the typography of the newspapers which line the storage boxes that house each Date Painting.

BOOK INFORMATION

Trim Size: 4.5 x 7 in.

Number of Pages: 152

Binding Method: Signature sewn

Paper: Munken Polar Rough 90gsm

Typefaces: IDK Interesting Times (custom)

CREDIT INFORMATION

Creative Director:

Art Director:

Book Designer: David Knowles

Jacket/Cover Designer:

Illustrator:

Photographer:

Picture Editor:

Production Director:

Production Coordinator:

Production Artist:

Other Credits: Sam Korman—Editor; Logan Lockner—Proofreader

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