Searchlight: Consciousness at the Millennium

We wanted our design to reflect the book’s content as much as possible. However, consciousness is, at the same time, the most ubiquitous and elusive condition of existence. Artists use elements of consciousness theory in many ways—from attempting to alter the viewer’s state to making the viewer aware of what passes before us unnoticed.

After reviewing much of the artwork in the show, we conducted our own visual experiments using materials that are normally “invisible.” Combining plastic, acetate, tape and thread with type led to many of the techniques that found their way into the book. In the reprint section, we worked with the idea of “similar differences.” The typography changes subtly from page to page and column to column. Unlike many curators, Larry Rinder was very encouraging about this work, and allowed us to bring our studies in proximity to the official artwork in the show.

Art director: Martin Venezky
Designers: Martin Venezky, Geoff Kaplan
Photographer: Cesar Rubio
Author/editor: Lawrence Rinder
Trim size: 9 X 11 inches
Pages: 196
Typefaces: Folio, Century Schoolbook
Printer: Artegrafica, Italy
Publishers/clients: Thames & Hudson, The CCAC Institute