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The Art of Looking Sideways
The Art of Looking Sideways is the ultimate coffee table book. In its own words, it is “a primer in visual intelligence…concerned with interplay between the visual and the verbal.” Alan Fletcher provides a vast collection of images, quotations and anecdotes which display expressive use of type, space, colour and imagery.
The best way to describe this book is as an original design experience. It does not set out to analyse or to teach, rather it is meant as an inspiration to all would-be designers. There are over 500 pages of material which are loosely themed into 72 chapters which should be more than enough to provide even the least design minded individuals among us plenty of mental stimulation.
The designs vary from the simple (the words “Fish are the last to recognise water.” set on a plain black background on page 104) to the complex (a picture of the Mona Lisa consisting entirely of international flags on page 284). The images themselves are often accompanied with quotes ranging from Plato and Sartre to HG Wells and Oscar Wilde, giving this the feel of the worlds best scrapbook.
It is almost impossible not to get lost in this book, although if you can find restraint simply dipping into the book can provide a much needed jolt of design adrenaline.
The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher.