As, Not For: Dethroning our Absolutes

Just before our rapid transition to the current state of remote teaching and learning, the UIC School of Design was able to install As, Not For: Dethroning our Absolutes, curated by Jerome Harris and interpreted by our graduate graphic design students under the direction of Assistant Professor Pouya Ahmadi. 

 

As, Not For is a collection of work by African-American graphic designers that Harris has assembled with the intent to “question, inspire, activate, and challenge the design community and beyond with the objective of promoting deep history, design theory and aesthetics of African-Americans”. The exhibition includes works by Buddy Esquire, Phase 2, Pen & Pixel, Reginald Gammon, Art Sims, W.E.B. DuBois, Liani Abernathy, Archie Boston, Emory Douglas, and more. Harris, who teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art, additionally gave a talk related to the exhibition to the UIC Design Senior Colloquium class on Friday, March 13.

 

Thanks to Jerome for his last bit of pre-social-distancing travel and to our first year MDes Graphic Design students for making this happen. We look forward to returning to campus for a delayed “opening”reception this fall. Details to come.