Uncanny: The Art & Design of Shawn Wolfe

by Shawn Wolfe

An 'uncanny' collection of Shawn Wolfe's most provocative work. In 1984, having spent seven years in and around advertising, Wolfe established Beatkit(tm), the world's first ever anti-brand. It was a brand without a product and was intended to be a shining example of what was sick and wrong in a culture gone mad with consumerism. From 1984 to 2000 Beatkit(tm) sought to expose the dark nature of consumerism, consumption and disposal, all of which escalate the fundamental crises of contemporary using up of natural resources, ecological ruin, cynicism, and alienation. Wolfe used and reused images such as the Bionic Cat and the Removerinstaller until they had achieved the abstract presence of the Nike swoosh. Perhaps the real magic in his work is that it draws us in but delivers nothing. Features Massive Attack, Panic Now and Too Much of a Good Thing.

Genres: Design

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Elzira Rai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings about this collection of Shawn Wolfe works. His early experiments, such as Remover/Installer, are much more interesting than most of his later designs (such as album covers and concert handbills, which - with the exception of his brilliant works for Negativland - look a bit vapid and banal, recalling the most uninspired side of late 90s glossy 'street' mannerisms). The two short absurdist comics included in the volume are quite interesting - would have liked to see more of that. Some interesting (if not particularly original) ideas on the human vacuum created by advertising occasionally materialize in the works themselves, especially in the first sections of the book, but this seems to disappear as the collection enters the second half of the 90s. Some typos and grammar blunders.

[Jarrodtrainque]

An 'uncanny' collection of Shawn Wolfe's most provocative work. In 1984, having spent seven years in and around advertising, Wolfe established Beatkit(tm), the world's first ever anti-brand. It was a brand without a product and was intended to be a shining example of what was sick and wrong in a culture gone mad with consumerism. From 1984 to 2000 Beatkit(tm) sought to expose the dark nature of consumerism, consumption and disposal, all of which escalate the fundamental crises of contemporary life: using up of natural resources, ecological ruin, cynicism, and alienation./ Wolfe used and reused images such as the Bionic Cat and the Removerinstaller until they had achieved the abstract presence of the Nike swoosh. Perhaps the real magic in his work is that it draws us in but delivers nothing./ Features Massive Attack, Panic Now and Too Much of a Good Thing./