Treating of matters which he who reads will see, and he who listens to them, when read, will hear.

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treatingofmatters@gmail.com

Treating of matters is a collaborative project* which aims to investigate how history influences our practice as designers.

Can we make design history research, and the sharing of its resources a more active part of everyday graphic design practice? How can we question the gender and racial biases of available histories? How, in other words, to influence the making of design history today? Does our field’s obsession with celebrity designers lead us to over-emphasise biographical narratives to the detriment of collective or object-based histories? Could we pursue a new form of writing design history, less confined to proven academic models, more intuitive or creative, thereby taking greater control over our profession and how it is translated or related in existing histories?

These questions, raised by Sara De Bondt, served as the starting point for the inquiries of nine Royal College of Art students. These make up the core of the publication and are complemented by the contributions of a number of invited historians, scholars and practising designers.

Treating of Matters was produced in London, at the Royal College of Art's Hockney Gallery. Product designers Will Shannon and Kieren Jones helped transform the gallery into an hybrid exhibition-production space that allowed the public to witness first hand the several stages in the making of a publication. Risograph was the printing technology of choice, for its cost efficiency in small print runs (250 copies) and user friendliness.

* Pedro Cid Proença, David Crowley, Alexandre Dumas de Rauly, Sara De Bondt, Sophie Demay, Afonso Duarte, Marine Duroselle, Sophie Dutton, Jules Estèves, Mick Farren, Maël Fournier-Comte, Lola Halifa-Legrand, Angelina Li, Will Holder, Richard Hollis, Yi Lin Juliana Ong, Savage Pencil, François Rappo, Adrian Rifkin, Marsha Rowe, Michel Wlassikoff.

Treating of Matters is independently distributed, and can be found in these fine outlets: A Estante, Lisboa / Artwords, London / Donlon Books, London / Koenig Books, London / Magma, London / Section Seven Books, Paris / Books Actually, Singapore and more...

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treatingofmatters