This is my inspiration bible. Five hundred and thirty three pages showcasing musings, collections, incongruities, useless information, wit and an art for looking sideways. Alan Fletcher, the late great designer and ‘visual jackdaw’, has featured on this blog before, with the nicest gates this (or that) side of the world and the prompting of some dead stick drawing.
The Art of Looking Sideways looks pretty because Alan Fletcher was a designer. But it’s not a designery tome. For me it’s a springboard to somewhere else. It’s an appreciation for the quirky, the unexpected – for finding joy in the unlikely. Because I can never solve a problem by actually thinking about it, it’s occasionally a book for prompting an around-about-and-upside-down route to a brilliant idea.
Some entirely random samplings:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY and Z. Obviously.
Never has a scuzzy, chewed-on pencil looked more High Art.
Waste not the dregs lurking at the bottom of your cup.
Ticket stubs collected over many travelling years, possibly with anchovies.
A complete mystery to me since I live with a someone (obviously English) who thinks tea does the same thing as water.
Just. Nice.
The small text says: ‘This is my signature. I always do it slightly differently to confuse potential forgers.’
Go that way.
‘I found this fish on the beach’. Of course he did.
I own two copies.
Inspire on over to Cindy’s for more Eye Spyers...
29 comments:
Really cool photos!!!!
How fun!!! What a great book to have... :)
What a fntastic book...hours of entertainment there but also by making you 'look' at your world differently.
Maybe I should get a copy, it may help me see a brighter side of being up and down since 3:30am. Sorry, it's too early to be jaded ;)
Definitely makes one think outside the square. Cherrie
You know, I don't own any design books and didn't really even know about them until recently... this looks so inspiring. Might check out the local library. I could do with some looking sideways.
that is a great book - I feel myself being immersed just through these few pages - they get you into a musing headspace I think
what a great looking book. those rocks are so neat :D
When I read this, I thought it could apply to meeting you at that fateful morning tea.... an appreciation for the quirky, the unexpected – for finding joy in the unlikely!
This books looks amazingly you!
I love a well designed designey type book and this one looks fantastic. The pencil piece is so effective. I'm sure many hours have been and will be spent leafing through this book.
:)
I've got this book too! I adore it. I love sitting with it in my lap, drinking a hot cuppa tea and perusing the pages for inspiration!
I like people who look at life sideways. My son is always tilting his head at the things he is truly interested in, I wonder what he sees.
And as for the book - I want that one.
jeepers! you do have great taste!
A great looking book - love the pencils page and the alphabet on rocks. Thanks for leaving a comment on our blog
Mmmmm yes this does indeed look like a treasure - *sigh* just one more to add to my wish list ;)
Now I'm dying to get my hands on a copy. Awesome!
Thank thank thank YOU Mrs! I just found what I'll be buying the Mr at my place for his birthday it will no doubt inspire...brilliance, appreciation of the hidden things, beautiful creation, time loss and thought provocation. Peta
mmm ... i think i better get this one ... very cool pages there ... methinks it would hit the spot!
Just wondering if the other copy is for me? If so I'll try to forget and look really surprised when it arrives in the mail. Truly.
LOVE THE BOOK xoxo
Some fabulous person gave me a copy of this book after being somewhat stunned that I didn't own this bible of lateral thinking. I was used to sideways glances, but not so much the sideways thinking (or looking).
It is now a very well thumbed book.
Thanks T.
W
I love 1930s and 40s graphics. The sharp contrast between black and just one other colour is refreshing after today's glossies .
Having said that , I now want those pencils on my wall !
Oh I have this lovely, lovely book too! I love visiting its pages and do so very often! My favourite thing is to just open randomly to a page to see where it takes me. Great post!!!
Cheers
Diana
www.searchingforsporadicsurprises.blogspot.com
PS My favourite pages are 61-62. I also LOVE page 415... I often wish I could just carry that page around with me for quick reference when required ;o)
Hi, I just gave you a blog award, check my blog.
Just wanted to say thanks for dropping my blog and I'm looking forward to coming back and reading more of yours. I love your philosophy on life - and isn't it amazing just how many things you can use a trampoline for?
wow definitely a book you could look at million times and never see the same ;)Thanks to share it;)
DREAMY! I love it. I want it.
I too love this book. I bought it while I was doing a Visual Studies Degree at Norwich University College of the Arts (UK) about 6 years ago. This course should actually have been called the Art of Looking Sideways! I now have a degree in it! I would love to have some of the images on the wall, they are wasted hidden between two covers!
LOVE those pebbles :)
What a great book. I can see how you can problem solve with this one!
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