This text-only record is part of the interactive AIGA Design Archives where you can view more details, zoom into images and explore other works in the definitive online resource on American design.
 |
Design Category
Book design, 1996
Design firm
Rigsby Design (Houston, Texas)
Collection
(1997) 50 Books/50 Covers of 1996
|
Recognizing and “reading” stereotypes is a participatory act, however involuntary. This concrete sack houses an introduction to the work of Michael Ray Charles, whose paintings explore racial and sexual stereotypes. The hand-sewn bag forces the reader/viewer to engage with the project: a black Mickey Mouse paper doll commands the viewer to “cut and paste,” while the books inside can be accessed only by cutting the bag open. With ironic humor, it also serves as a protective wrapper for the provocative materials inside.