what is graphicography?
gra-phic-og-ra-phy n. 1. The art or process of producing design work using layout, images, and type. 2. The art, practice, or occupation of producing images for popular consumption. 3. A body of graphic design work.
Copyright 2007 by Michael Mertz. The book author retains sole copyright to his contributions to this book. This book may not be bartered, contracted, exchanged, wholesaled, traded, sold, borrowed or lent, it may not be photocopied, photographed, replicated, duplicated, triplicated, remade, reread, replaced, or read aloud. It shall not be ripped, copied, uploaded, downloaded, torrented, digitized, computerized, stored and/or transmitted. Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
i take pictures. Hi, my name is Mike Mertz and I’m a
something a camera can do in a fraction of a
photographer. Taking pictures has always
second? If you want to replicate what you see,
interested me, probably because I find
buy a camera. It’s faster and more accurate.
drawing somewhat boring. From day one
Photography is an artwork that everyone can
we’re taught to draw things as we see them.
appreciate, since everyone does it. You’d
The more realistic we can draw, the better
be hard pressed to find a person today who
people say we are. Those drawings took
hasn’t taken a picture (or doesn't have a
hours, and for what? To try and replicate
camera.)
$150,750 per seat Frank Gehry was commissioned to design the
(Although you really have to use your imagination
Prisker Pavilion, a band shell to be the focus of
to actually see the flower. If I was an architect I
the newly designed Millennium Park in Chicago.
would just say I included these elements into my
The Pavilion features a large grass seating area,
work just to hear people say "Oh yeah, I totally see
fixed seating, an enormous 600-by-300 foot trellis
that... it's so obvious!", despite the fact I was lying.
network supporting a massive speaker system,
But I digress.) Proposed costs were estimated in
and a 120-foot wide stage with a stainless steel
the $10 million range, but they soon spiraled to
headdress, made to mimic a blooming flower.
$60.3 million when it was completed in 2004.
4
years as tallest in Chicago
100 711
floors
residential units
1,127
feet tall
95,000,000
dollars
384,000,000
pounds
Built Ford Tough. When
Ford
celebrated
their
Golden
bolt. Ford has sold their F-Series trucks in
Anniversary in 1953, they introduced a
America since 1948. Since then it's been
completely redesigned series of trucks.
the best-selling truck for 30 of its 59 years
Instead of calling them "Bonus Built" models
of existence. What's even more impressive
(as they had been since their introduction),
is that the Ford F-Series has been the best-
Ford referred to them as the "Economy
selling vehicle in the United States 23 times
Truck Line". With the new name came a new
since 1948. The F-Series alone makes up
hood emblem: a cog bisected by a lightning
for half of FoMoCo's profits in recent years.
Ford's Cadillac The first Lincoln Continental was developed
a separate brand in 1955, a marque with
as a one-off personal vehicle for Edsel Ford.
the highest quality control ever seen in the
Edsel claimed he could sell a thousand of
automotive industry. Although it cost $10,000
them, and production started shortly after.
(as much as a Rolls-Royce), Ford lost money
Only a couple thousand hand-built models
on each one sold. The Continental division
were
was
fizzled after 1957, but Lincoln named its top-
suspended due to the Japanese attack on
of-the-line model the Continental Mark III to
Pearl Harbor. The name was revived as
retain some of the cachet that still remained.
produced
before
production
e
of rsion
e
"I lik
nv dow d e l sca n rari a Clarkso r e F r y e m e nsid - Jer to co
."
God
soldiers & sailors The legislature to build a monument to honor
Seventy designs were submitted from around
the veterans of the Civil War was passed in
the globe. The winning design, featuring a
1887 by the Indiana General Assembly. The
towering obelisk, fountains, and monumental
bill made a grant of $200,000 and ordered the
sculpture was designed by Bruno Schmitz
commissioners to build said monument on
of Berlin, Germany. The limestone and
the "ground commonly known as Circle Park."
bronze monument reaches 284 feet and is
An international design competition was held
capped by a 38-foot high statue representing
to find a suitable design for the memorial.
"Victory". It was completed in 1901.
about the artsgarden INDY.ORG — The Indianapolis Artsgarden
offers a spectacular view of the city. The facility
provides
is owned and operated by the Arts Council.
a
sparkling
environment
for
more than 350 free performances and
The Artsgarden
exhibits
each
year
one
the Claypool Court/Embassy Suites Hotel
of
city's
visitor
featuring
and Circle Centre mall. It's linked by an
information about Indy's cultural scene as
indoor skywalk to the Indiana Convention
well as the city's attractions and events.
Center
The seven-story-tall, glass enclosed structure
Omni,
the
and
houses
centers,
&
physically
RCA
Westin
Dome,
and
connects
to
Canterbury,
Marriott
hotels.
culture, Nobody of any real
t for ins
ever ance,
talks
now
s aday
bea the t u abo
uty
of
se sun
un t. S
s set
are
q
e uit
old
f
io ash
ne
d.
To admire them is a distinct sign of provincialism of temperament. Upon the other hand they go on.� - Oscar Wilde
contemporary, not modern the internet — The museum had been
220 East Chicago Avenue which was the site
located in a small space at 237 East Ontario
of a National Guard Armory from 1907 until
Street that had originally been built as a
it was demolished in 1993 to make way for
bakery and for a time had served as the
the MCA. The new limestone and aluminum
corporate offices of Playboy Enterprises.
structure was designed by Berlin architect
Throughout its history, the MCA expanded into
Josef Paul Kleihues. The new building
adjacent buildings to increase gallery space.
contains 45,000Â square feet of gallery space
In 1996, the MCA acquired its current site at
(seven times the space of the old museum).
modern, not contemporary BENTLEY MOTORS — The Continental GT
carbon ceramic brakes, a production-first
Diamond Series, based on the 2007 model
for Bentley, and new 20-inch, 14-spoke alloy
year Mulliner Driving Specification, features
wheels. Production of the Continental GT
an exclusive package of enhancements
Diamond Series is restricted to 400 cars
that, in keeping with the Bentley tradition,
for worldwide distribution and shares the
combines
with
limelight with the Arnage Diamond Series
cosseting luxury. Many of these features are
to form a double celebration of the 60th
unique to this very special model including
anniversary of Bentley production at Crewe.
sporting
performance
by day
by night
LeMans, 1971 The Penske-Donohue 512M was truly a
Unquestionably, it was a fast car. We'd seen
detailed machine with matching yellow pin
that five months earlier at Daytona. Once
striping. The dark blue color with yellow
again here at Le Mans, the blue Penske 512M
trim produced a strikingly un-Ferrari like
out qualified us. Many called it the Fastest
appearance. The wheels were at a high
Ferrari in the World, but it was not our equal
polish over the normal painted gold Ferrari
during the race where it counts the most.
NART wheels. You could eat off of any part of the car. It looked every bit a winner.
— Tony Adamowicz
The Whitney Straight Last year, I went on a road trip with a few
though, is the Historic Challenge, in which all
friends up to Elkhart Lake to visit Road
the old racers were brought out to do what
America. The Ferrari Challenge was being
they were made to do: go really fast. And
held that weekend. Aside from the ability
amazingly enough, one of the fastest cars
to get up close and personal with some
was also the oldest. It is rather strange to see
very valuable, beautiful, and historically
a Maserati passing cars that are 30 years
significant cars, the main attraction were the
newer. Whitney Straight bought the car new
races. The most exciting race in the series,
in 1934, and it has been raced ever since.
*crush crunch crush* So do people really only watch NASCAR
now, and I usually miss the crashes. The
races because of the accidents? Yeah, in
Indy Motor Speedway is a huge oval track,
most cases I'd probably agree with you. But
measuring 2.5 miles around. It's so big that
there's really nothing wrong with that–after
the weather actually varies depending on
all, the cars (and tracks these days) are really
what corner you happen to be in at the time.
safe. Odds are very slim that a driver would
It's rare that an accident would happen right
be injured, let alone killed, in an accident. I've
in front of you, then. This time, however, I
been to the Brickyard 400 quite a few times
didn't miss the accident. I even got a picture.
the miracles of science DUPONT— Lammot du Pont established
blasting powder for use in building railroads,
the Repauno Chemical Company in 1880
highways and other major construction
after failing to convince his uncle, Henry
projects
du
dynamite
Pont’s fears about the dangers of the
business. Located on the New Jersey
new chemical compound were also well
side of the Delaware River, Repauno
founded. Four years later, while trying
was
to
Pont,
to
founded
enter
on
the
Lammot’s
belief
that dynamite would replace traditional
tame
nationwide.
the
But
dynamite
Henry
du
manufacturing
process, he was killed by an explosion.
one of 3 50, 000
Chicago, 1893 Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette—
smiled
Standing on a chair in a car swaying
beneath
her
and
266 feet above the earth a little woman
for
and
her
raised a glass of champagne to her
dressed
lips and drank to the health of her
trimmed with gold. She said softly as
husband.
she
The
little
woman
looked
her
sweetly
in
made
at
a the
those they
in
cheered
husband.
dainty toast:
the
gown "To
She of the
cars wildly was black, health
wonderfully pretty. Her eyes shone with
of my husband and the success of the
the light of love and wifely pride. She
Ferris wheel."
Iron & Glass cityofchicago.org—
the
district known as "The Loop" was born.
Chicago Fire of 1871, the City's Common
An escalation in land prices forced lot owners
Council banned the building of wooden
to maximize available space. This, combined
structures within the city limits. As the
with advancements in engineering and
industrial
services such as electricity and the elevator,
with
the
revolution growth
of
Following
arrived, Chicago
along into
a
saw architects starting to think vertically. The
city of half a million, traditional urban
first building called a skyscraper, topped the
centralization occurred and the business
1882 skyline at a then-dizzying 10 stories.
Then & Now
'Tis A Lovely Day I've always wanted to attend a Concours
starts to get old. If you've seen one, you've
car show. Your typical "run of the mill" show
seen them all. Finally, there was a Concours
amounts to nothing more than a bunch of
show in Milwaukee. The cars here were invited
Chevy Novas and Chevelles with shiny
specifically for their unique, aesthetic, and
chrome engines and American Racing
historical merits. And the cars aren't the only
wheels. Not that there's anything wrong with
unique sight there (see left). You don't wear a
that, but seeing the same Mustangs and
Scorpions concert tee and smoke Marlboros
Camaros at any given show in any given city
when you own an Alfa Romeo Superleggera.
Take The L Train The L trains in Chicago are composed of 8
and Washington DC's Metrorail. Annual
lines, covering 106 miles, making stops at
ridership in 2006 was 192,600,000 people.
144 stations. And just to confuse the situation
The people of Chicago also voted it one of
more with numbers, the oldest section was
the "seven wonders of Chicago". It's a great
built in 1892. And 15 percent of the L train
way to get around the city, despite the fact
system is underground. It's also the third
more people take the bus. The L might be
busiest public-transit system in America,
noisy,
behind New York City's Subway system
overwhelmingly crowded... but it's charming.
slow,
somewhat
dangerous
and
santa's other sled
Architectural Contrast The building in the far right of this photograph
square windows— the epitome of function
is IBM Plaza. It was one of many Chicago
over form. The building in the foreground is
skyscrapers designed by Mies van der
Marina City, designed by Bertrand Goldberg.
Rohe, one of Chicago's famed architects. He
His teacher? Mies van der Rohe. Goldberg's
believed
be
designs are antithesis of anything and
functional, and as such, everything he
everything Mies stood for. I'm sure the fact
designed looked the same. They were
that these two buildings stand next to each
boring, boxy, steel rectangles with lots of
other is a complete and total coincidence.
that
skyscrapers
should
Such Great Heights prairieghosts.com—
By
3:00
AM
of a man who stayed on the job during
that morning, the pumps at the Waterworks
the fire, continuing to pump the water as
on Pine Street had been destroyed and by
the fire got closer. The story goes that this
Monday evening, the only intact structure
heroic city worker waited until the last
for blocks was the gothic stone Water
possible minute and then took his own life
Tower. Somehow, it managed to survive
rather than be engulfed in the flames. His
the devastation. Legend has it that this
ghost has reportedly been seen hanging
structure is haunted today by the ghost
through an upper window of the tower.
the evolution of man
prehistoric man
neanderthal
modern man
man with a little captain in him
Looking Up While Looking Down mcachicago— In May 1991, following
The design is sensitive to the tradition
a 12-month search and the review of more
of modern architecture in Chicago and
than 200 nominations, the MCA announced
conveys both a clarity of structure and spirit
the selection of Josef Paul Kleihues to be
of innovation. Among his numerous other
architect of the MCA's new home. Kleihues's
designs are the Berlin-Neukölln Hospital
design, his first project in the United States,
and the Quartier Park Lenné in Berlin.
combines his poetic rationalist style with
From 1979 to 1987 he was director of the
respect for the functions of the building.
Internationale Bauausstellung Berlin IBA.
By Land or by Sea shelby autos— Many have said that
Championship. In 1964, Carroll Shelby was
Carroll Shelby was the greatest single
asked to enhance the performance of the
influence on America’s racing posture in
new Ford Mustang, and the legendary GT350
the post-1945 period. He refurbished the
was born. Initially just for racing, the 1965
image of American road-racers in Europe
GT350 R Model began its dominance on
and with no engineering background, he
American racing circuits and making a name
created a race car which ended Ferrari’s
for itself by winning the SCCA B production
domination of the World’s Manufacturing
championship in 1965, 1966 and 1967.
How to stumble onto a movie set and run into Vince Vaughn, in six easy steps.
Michigan Avenue themagnificentmile.com— 1909: The
stretched to infinity. The Lake Michigan
'Chicago Plan' was devised by local planners
shoreline, originally located just a block away
to transform Michigan Avenue from an
from what is now Michigan Avenue, would
Indian trading post into a major commercial
undergo a series of landfills amounting
boulevard. After widening the streets and
to 125 acres to stabilize the shoreline
constructing
and avoid flooding. 1913: The Michigan
envisioned
a
bridge,
the
developers
an
Avenue
similar
to
the
Champs Elysees in Paris which seemingly
Avenue
Bridge
was
born,
connecting
the "old" South with the "new" North.
Lake Shore Drive THE INTERNET— Lake Shore Drive's
the auto age dawned it took on a different
origins date back to Potter Palmer, who
role
coerced the city to build the street adjacent
decker Link Bridge over the Chicago River
to his lakefront property to enhance its
opened. The lower level was intended for a
value. Palmer built his "castle" at 1350
railroad connection, but it was never used
N. Lake Shore Drive in 1882. The drive
until LSD was rebuilt in 1986. At the time
was originally intended for leisurely strolls
the bridge was built, it was the longest
for the wealthy in their carriages, but as
and widest bascule bridge in the world.
completely.
In
1937,
the
double-
In The Loop the internet— The term "The Loop" has
the
different meanings to different persons. As
surrounded
the downtown area and its many high-rises
Chicago's 'L' trains. The name, however,
expanded out past the community area over
predates the elevated loop, coming from
the years, "The Loop" has been used more
a streetcar loop in 1882. Currently, most
generally to denote the entire downtown
residents probably consider it to be the
as opposed to just the community area.
area
The term even more specifically applies to
Congress Parkway, and Columbus Drive.
section
of by
bounded
the the
by
community circuit
the
area
formed
Chicago
by
River,
The Fresh Prince howstuffworks— As an icon of its
top-level V8 came with Ramjet fuel injection,
age, the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air ranks right
which made for near racing-level performance
alongside Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Leave
right off the showroom floor. But perhaps the
It to Beaver— curious for a mass-market
main reason for the '57s' enduring mystique
car in the last year of a three-year cycle.
is that they were the last of the "Hot Ones,"
Nevertheless, these Chevys struck a chord
arguably the most attractive and roadable
that resonates to this day— even among
Chevys of the decade. As the song says,
those born long after the cars were built. The
you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.
and that's graphicography.
A special thanks to everyone who has somehow shaped who I am as a designer, photographer, and artist. (But not so much as a writer. I'm still really bad at that, if you couldn't tell). I wouldn’t be half the person I am today without the help and support from my family, friends, and professors. You know who you are. Odds are you’re one of those people if you’re reading this book. So thanks. Maybe I’ll remember you when I am famous.