The synthesis of books in a visual format is a critical component in the NetworkedBook projectso I have included these 3 "posters" by the artist Adelheide Mers as examples of the visual synthesis that is possible when linking the talents of an interpretive artist with the thematic material of an author's book.
Here is how Adelheid Mers describes her purpose in diagramming the book Moral Politics by George Lakoff.
ABOUT MAKING DIAGRAMS Mers says: I diagram essays and books because this is how I make sense of the texts I read. I read these texts to help make sense of what I experience. I have all kinds of questions and seem to have a knack for finding answers in print. As a visual artist, I am intrigued by the richness of imagery that is contained in all language, popular or academic, spoken or printed. Text is never dry, it is always brimming with figures of thought, some obvious, some subtle and waiting to be extricated. I make pictures from texts. As important as the content of the diagrams is to me personally, and as excited as I am if someone shares my interests, in the end I am involved in a formal endeavor. I think that "making sense" is one of the central human activities, and that we "make sense" by comparing stories. We frequently seem to need a fresh vehicle to tell our stories through, to stay alert and engaged, and I am working out what I hope is one contemporary way of "making sense".
DIAGRAM :: Adelheid Mers
