Critical Daily    Critical practice in graphic design

The book Rareness of Everyday Being was my thesis at the Academy of Fine Art and Design in Bratislava; and it was completed between 2014 and 2015. I createdt as an unorthodox triple book. The inspiration came from my own photographic material which I had been collecting without any publishing ambitions. Therefore, it was quite a hodgepodge of material and it was impossible to align it in a standard format.

My second motivation to create my thesis in a new format was my eagerness to break the mold for publishing photo books and books in general. If you align photographs in a traditional linear way, individual photographs and the way you perceive them are influenced by the photographs standing next to them or on the previous pages. Their interpretation is also limited by the bordering text. The author draws conclusions in order to form a complete story. It is possible to find a connection between photographs throughout the book by random browsing or by going through it page by page, but overall the content is relatively limited. On the other hand, my triple book’s format enables the reader to work with the images more freely.

Three blocks of the publication are connected within one shared binding. The reader can browse all three parts at once or create their own diptychs and even triptychs. They become an active co-author of the publication. The meaning of individual images changes when viewed in concert with other pictures. The reader creates a variety of stories, much like a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. Browsing through the book becomes a contextual game. The reading of photographic materials is subjective because everyone's perception is based on his or her own capabilities and experiences. For this reason, this freedom is both beneficial and innovative for the reader. The format of the book also refers to randomness and absurdity of the images inside.

The contents of the publication are my own photographic work. The photographs serve as my photographic diary and were taken over a period of six years. The photographs capture everyday life, including some banal or absurd situations. I have recorded man made still lifes, as well as “designs” and situations which take place in public and private areas. My photographic work and the recording of the environment around me are a complement to my designer work.

The book cover quotes from the content. By linking and shuffling the English and Slovak titles, a new playful combination arises which underlines the tone of the photographs inside.

Published by Štokovec, 2015
Photodocumentation of the book Nora + Jakub