'Over and Over' by Michael Perry. Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.

Review
Caroline McCurdy

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It is difficult these days to come across design that does not include some kind of hand-generated elements. The most common example is for giving a corporate identity a more organic appearance. The DIY theme seems to have really taken off lately. Michael (Mike) Perry’s Over & Over is a generous and well-demonstrated documentation of the patterns used in the current hand-drawn trend.

Mike Perry is a graphic designer based in Brooklyn NY, where he has been running a small studio for the last two years. Over & Over is the second publication he has produced, the first being the the catalogue of hand-generated type, aptly titled Hand Job (Princeton Architectural Press, 2007). Over & Over is a catalogue of hand-drawn patterns, some also using cut paper, photography and collage. Perry himself ‘uses patterns wherever possible, probably not as often as he should. He fell in love with patterns while digging through clip-art books and has not looked back since. He has used patterns in his work for clients such as Zoo York, 2k, Zune and New York Times Magazine‘.

'Over and Over' by Michael Perry. Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.

Similar to Perry’s first book, Over & Over features many well known designers from around the world, such as: Noah Butkus, Dan Funderburgh, Jeremyville, Luke Ramsey, Yuko Shimizu, Holly Stevenson, Ben Weeks and Yokoland. Mike Perry describes Over & Over as being a ‘celebration of things done by hand’, as well as stating that pattern is ‘meant’ for use in collaboration. He understands pattern to be something that can act as a bridge between designers, ‘Sometimes they are the end result and sometimes they are the beginning’.

'Over and Over' by Michael Perry. Princeton Architectural Press, 2008.

The catalogue explores a huge range of patterns; some using black and white, while others are created with a hypnotic amount of colour. The subject matter ranges from some child-like, simple shapes to highly sophisticated and detailed pieces. Whilst viewing such an array of different kinds of hand-drawn patterns, it derives a different sense of appreciation. By making the reader more aware of the origin of the work, you can further acknowledge and appreciate the amount of time these designers/artists have spent on creating these pieces, without the help (or too much help) from technology.

Overall, the most exciting thing about the catalogue is the small hand-made errors, that can be seen if viewed carefully. Most often these are caused by the designer’s slip of the hand whilst laboring over a monotonous and complex pattern. These unique errors in the designs are something only capable of achieving by stepping away from the computer, and add character and personality to each piece.
Over and Over is a refreshing take on viewing design today; a view of something different, away from the graffiti, vector, street art styles.

Princeton Architectural Press

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