“Glenn Walls work focuses on specialist book covers that incorporate modernist principles of design published from the 1930s to the 1970s. The artworks produced relate to academic and theatrical books covers designs in the fields of architecture, art, design, philosophy and psychoanalysis theory. These books used innovative, minimalist, cutting edge graphics on their covers. Walls redesigns these book covers as a framework to construct contemporary narratives, highlighting issues such as LGBTI rights and visibility to the White Australia policy. Walls is interested in how he can construct narratives by adding new layers to these book covers in order to imbue them with personal significance. Through the placement of alternative titles and rearranged graphics he envisage how we are able to occupy and personalise these books to our own purposes. I am Australian No 1 is based Marcel Duchamp cover design for the Surrealist oriented publication Minotaure No 6, 1934. Minotaure was published between 1933 and 1939. The magazine focused on articles relating to Surrealist principles and theories, architecture and also contained the first published essays of the famed French psychiatrist and philosopher, Jacques Lacan (Vol. 1 & 4). Duchamp cover utilizes modernist principles of simplicity and lent itself to the redesign of the aboriginal flag. I am Australian No 2 is based on the designs of Germano Facetti who was the head designer of Penguin Books from 1962 – 71. Alfred Deakin was Australia’s second prime minister and instrumental in the writing of the White Australia policy” – Glenn Walls.
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