The term “Anarchitecture” refers both to a specific series of deconstructive architecture exhibits created by the late Gordon Matta-Clarke, as well as a fluid and evolving design philosophy that permeated throughout almost all of his work. While the artist never gave a definitive definition for the term, it is not hard to reach some level of understanding as to what Anarchitecture meant to him by looking at his both physical and philosophical deconstructions of proper architectural practices.
This book is visually inspired by Anarchitecture as a philosophy, and strives to apply that mindset to publication design and typographic arrangements. Utilizing the large archive of photographic documentation of Matta-Clarke’s work (much of which was taken by Clarke himself) this book focuses on three major architectural exhibitions that best embody the “Anarchitecture Mindset.” Conical Intersect, Splitting and Pier 52 (sometimes known as Day’s End) are all well known for not only their grand scale, but also their persevering and often justified controversiality.
However, the focus of this book is not the wider historical context in which Matta-Clarke’s work existed, but rather the unusual and high-tension design philosophy that he pioneered and applied to the typically rigid field of architecture, and that I now apply to this book.
