| The Art of a Business Card The Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design 208 N. Water Street. 414-203-0371 May 10-October 29, 2006 |
The premise of this exhibition is intriguing. Business
cards need to make an instant and powerful
impression to avoid a momentary existence. They are
frequently the first step in building business
relationships, but can easily end up as a forgotten
piece of ephemera. This exhibition attempts to
highlight examples of business cards that are
eye-catching and inventive, and from the insinuations of
the exhibition title, that are mini-works of art in
themselves.
There are cards aplenty in this show, but little more
than that. Entering the exhibition from the admissions
desk, the first thing to see are large signs hanging from
the ceiling. Interestingly, it takes a moment before you
realize that these are enlargements of cards. They
work so well on a large scale that gigantism seems to
be their natural state, but despite their cosmetic good
looks, bigger does not equate with a better or more
interesting exhibition object. It was difficult to ascertain
exactly why these were selected as such grand
examples. Curatorial silence permeates the entire
exhibition and one can only guess that the intention is
to let the objects speak for themselves.
cards need to make an instant and powerful
impression to avoid a momentary existence. They are
frequently the first step in building business
relationships, but can easily end up as a forgotten
piece of ephemera. This exhibition attempts to
highlight examples of business cards that are
eye-catching and inventive, and from the insinuations of
the exhibition title, that are mini-works of art in
themselves.
There are cards aplenty in this show, but little more
than that. Entering the exhibition from the admissions
desk, the first thing to see are large signs hanging from
the ceiling. Interestingly, it takes a moment before you
realize that these are enlargements of cards. They
work so well on a large scale that gigantism seems to
be their natural state, but despite their cosmetic good
looks, bigger does not equate with a better or more
interesting exhibition object. It was difficult to ascertain
exactly why these were selected as such grand
examples. Curatorial silence permeates the entire
exhibition and one can only guess that the intention is
to let the objects speak for themselves.
| "The Art of a Business Card" at the Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design |
There is a dearth of wall text except for a short
introductory bit that gives scant context for these cards
or their visual significance. The show meanders
through a variety of displays; some include
corresponding stationery along with their coordinating
business card, but it is more reminiscent of a printer’s
shop than a museum installation. Other installations
are simply arrays of cards put together in attractive but
uninformative displays. Along the perimeter walls,
mannequin-like arms reach out from the walls with
cards in their hands in a kitschy attempt to enliven
these objects. A bright spot among these examples is
a clever design for Yuka Suzuki, a hair and make-up
artist, whose business card shows an energetic little
line drawing of a head and uses hairpins in place of
hair. It’s witty and memorable, and unfortunately one of
the few examples that stands out from the crowd.
This exhibition suffers most from the lack of explanation
and context. One is left hungry for substantial
information about why were these pieces chosen, who
designed them, why are they special? Ultimately, the
viewer’s connection to these pieces remains as
superficial as a telemarketing pitch. Rather than
introducing a new way to view business cards, the end
result is akin to window shopping through an endless
array of card choices. So if you’re looking for ideas, this
may be for you. But otherwise, it is more like a
misguided networking attempt.
- K.M. Murrell
Katherine Murrell is co-publisher of Susceptible to
Images.
Comments? Email the writer at
kmmurrell@susceptibletoimages.com
introductory bit that gives scant context for these cards
or their visual significance. The show meanders
through a variety of displays; some include
corresponding stationery along with their coordinating
business card, but it is more reminiscent of a printer’s
shop than a museum installation. Other installations
are simply arrays of cards put together in attractive but
uninformative displays. Along the perimeter walls,
mannequin-like arms reach out from the walls with
cards in their hands in a kitschy attempt to enliven
these objects. A bright spot among these examples is
a clever design for Yuka Suzuki, a hair and make-up
artist, whose business card shows an energetic little
line drawing of a head and uses hairpins in place of
hair. It’s witty and memorable, and unfortunately one of
the few examples that stands out from the crowd.
This exhibition suffers most from the lack of explanation
and context. One is left hungry for substantial
information about why were these pieces chosen, who
designed them, why are they special? Ultimately, the
viewer’s connection to these pieces remains as
superficial as a telemarketing pitch. Rather than
introducing a new way to view business cards, the end
result is akin to window shopping through an endless
array of card choices. So if you’re looking for ideas, this
may be for you. But otherwise, it is more like a
misguided networking attempt.
- K.M. Murrell
Katherine Murrell is co-publisher of Susceptible to
Images.
Comments? Email the writer at
kmmurrell@susceptibletoimages.com
| Installation panel in "The Art of a Business Card" |
| A delightfully clever business card for Yuka Suzuki, hair and make-up artist. |
| Copyright Art History Chicks, 2006. Contact Us |
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