images courtesy of Acriacao.com
We get a kick out of the argument of whether or not to organize your books by color. While we admit to doing it rather obsessively, there are those that make the point that it doesn't make any sense bibliographically. But what about taking it to the next level and spelling out words on your bookshelves...
Photographer and graphic designer Amandine Alessandra has created an alphabet based on arranging colored books on a shelf. We love the idea of creating a message or image in one's bookshelf, and Alessandra has taken this to a type-centric level.
Alessandra created a poster that is an adaptation of Thomas Fuller’s phrase “A book that is shut is but a block." Available on Design Marketo, this creative use of books for their shape and color rather than their content is intriguing. While we may not go this far on our own bookshelves, we've got our eye on this poster!
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
hard to read...
"a short book sucks a lot"?
view baba yaga's profile
This is worse than the color-coordinated books.
view bepsf's profile
Maybe a nice poster in a children's public library? It's tough to read and kind of gives me a headache--like those magic eye posters from the 90s.
view alisong's profile
I think it says "a shut book is just a block"
not sure though
view Ana's profile
My head hurts.
view SherryBinNH's profile
An interesting idea- certainly with a lot of graphic impact. I think I'd like it better if the poster were actually one real photograph. The fact that it's photoshopped together from an alphabet sort of irks me- especially with the identical repeated letters.
The second image, though harder to read, is much more of an art installation.
view shockthebourgeois's profile
no.
view sharinly's profile
Too much going on there.
It's a nice idea but it looks like a bunch of clutter to me.
view QueenLeilani's profile
art installation, yes
actual way to shelf books, no thank you
view MaeEast's profile
A Study of Reading Habits --by Philip Larkin
When getting my nose in a book
Cured most things short of school,
It was worth ruining my eyes
To know I could still keep cool,
And deal out the old right hook
To dirty dogs twice my size.
Later, with inch-thick specs,
Evil was just my lark:
Me and my coat and fangs
Had ripping times in the dark.
The women I clubbed with sex!
I broke them up like meringues.
Don't read much now: the dude
Who lets the girl down before
The hero arrives, the chap
Who's yellow and keeps the store
Seem far too familiar. Get stewed:
Books are a load of crap.
view monarda's profile
"a book that is shut is but a block."
(similarly, a msg this hard to read is but a joke)
view liddybird's profile
OK. Even this anti-book person has to admit...
That was frickin' cool"
view quiltmaster's profile
agreed.
no thank you.
view puck's profile
More trouble than I would want to put into it....but interesting.
view baileyb's profile
My boyfriend always makes fun of me because I'm not very careful or gentle to my books... He would probably cry if he saw this! Makes kind of an interesting poster but it seems like your books would just be completely useless once arranged... seems pretty stupid to me.
view Lafferteezy's profile
It looks cluttered and messy.
view jooly's profile
I assume this question is posed facetiously.
While I like the idea of the poster for libraries, the execution is, indeed, hard to read. Should have picked different, darker-colored books to stand out amidst all that texture.
view dianalily's profile
Interesting idea, but poorly executed.
view Emika's profile