Words & Pictures

‘We live in an age of visual saturation, where our every moment is recorded and posted on social media. As a result, we see quantity over quality, with imagery becoming devalued through its overuse. The old phrase ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ has now almost become reversed, since words – whether spoken or written – are forever being squeezed in our fast-paced lives. They are restricted and shortened on social media, while we increasingly communicate using pictures alone. (Which of course can be photoshopped, so we don’t always trust them.) As a consequence, there is a new found power in words, especially when used in the right context.

In China, the art of traditional oral storytelling is back in fashion – and we are beginning to see clubs and societies devoted to this in the Western world as well. The trend for words can also be seen in the use of lettering in interior design and architecture; but rather than words and images being in opposition, one completes the other.

The corresponding colour palette uses the blue of ink and grey of graphite in contrast to tones familiar with smartphone and social media filters.