From the Series
Shifts and changes in perspective is the theme of the Shift: Projects/Perspectives/Directions exhibition at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Eddie Opara was tasked with designing the invitations, catalogue and graphics for the exhibition and drew visual inspiration from the theme of change.
In the first instance the invitation translates the concept of change into print in a playful way. The invitation is perforated into different segments, each representing the seven different installations that comprise the exhibition. The different segments on the invitation can be shifted around, making for an interactive element. The shapes are also loosely inspired by the letterforms of the exhibition title.
The catalogue, too, uses the invitation’s shapes as indicators for each artist and installation featured in this book. The shapes are used as a key in the table of contents to help the reader navigate to the corresponding section of images in the catalogue.
The concept of “shift” is further manifested in the use of two different paper types: one uncoated for the essay section, and one coated with the imagery.
Another “shift” is the change in graphics from the front of the book, to the back. The cover is vertically orientated so the shapes run from top to bottom.