For Art in Chicago, our design drew on the city’s two major art movements over the past half-century, the quirkiness of imagism and the rationalism of the new Bauhaus. Throughout the book, we tried to emphasize the complex and cross-referential nature of the catalogue. The plate section is broken up into decades, with each decade represented by a different typeface. Images are broken up year by year, with each year’s artwork paired with historical data. Cross-reference material in the essays and back matter is called out typographically.

Art in Chicago feels boldly utilitarian because Chicago is the city of great utility. Strong, pragmatic form making is the essence of this city, and the book uses that as both organizing principle and to communicate the spirit of the city and its art.