Introduction to Ode to Construction: Abstraction in the Digital Age, Onomatopee

Together with art historian Max Boersma, I co-wrote the introduction to Polina Joffe’s artist book, an essay entitled “Elegy to Construction.” I also edited the book and collaborated with the artist on the publication’s concept. Ode to Construction itself explores the intersections of graphic design and art through the means of generative code, gesturing playfully and melancholically towards the foundational legacies of the Suprematist and Constructivist movements of the early 20th century. Our essay contextualizes Joffe’s project within the histories of these movements while placing it in conversation with the tools, programs, and algorithms of contemporary design.