Chip Kidd at the Cooper Union

Since the release of his book The Cheese Monkeys was eclipsed by its unfortunate release date – September 10, 2001 – perhaps graphic art superstar Chip Kidd thought it fitting to release his new exhibition and book: CHIP KIDD: BOOK ONE, the night before the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Nonetheless, hundreds of people jammed into this small exhibition at the Cooper Union last night for its opening reception. Lofty was on the scene.

At first, Lofty had a hard time figuring out what this show was about. An art exhibition? A history of the book cover? The pages of Chip Kidd’s new book ripped out and pasted on the wall? It turned out to be the latter. . . but in a good way.

The subtitle Of Kidd’s new book is “Twenty Years of Books, Sketches, Ideas, Etc. The Cooper Union exhibition mirrors this – Kidd has laid out an array of icons, drafts covered in post-it notes, original book jackets, comic books and lots of ‘etc’.

In part, both the book and the show are attempts to inform the audience that graphic artists actually do something. This continues a theme of Kidd’s wonderfully enjoyable novel The Cheese Monkeys where the reader and protagonist come to appreciate the brilliance and general stick-to-itivness of the people who fret over the designed objects which Joe Public takes for granted on a daily basis.

Like most art, graphic design becomes more interesting as you are led through the process. Kidd skillfully illuminates the multiple layers of thought, talent, creativity and care that go into the production of a comic, an ad, or a book cover. At the same time Kidd relishes in kitch and “introduces pop punk art into the vernacular”. The Exhibition is fun, beautiful and informative.

The section on Kidd’s meteoric rise to fame as a book cover designer at Knopf was Lofty’s fave. To be invited to design the cover of a book must be an awesome power to wield. A great book cover can make impressions that inextricably color a reader’s conception of a book (judging books by their covers may be a sin, but is a human tendency on which publishers must rely). In his early covers, Kidd used bold and jarring images, sure to grab the consumer’s attention. An author states “Do they tell you anything about the novel? Not Much. But who cares? I love them.”

If you are poor, leave your wallet at home; this exhibition made Lofty want to buy the book. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get an expense account. At $40, Lofty will put this on his Xmas list.

CHIP KIDD: BOOK ONE, twenty years of books sketches, ideas, etc. From 1986-2006 runs at the Cooper Union until February 4, 2006, FREE.