Philosophy has never looked so beautiful

Genís Carreras’ prints explore big ideas through simple shapes

At the Northampton Gent, we love simplicity. That idea that ‘less is more’ and ’a picture is worth a thousand words’. Throughout time, numerous great figures have highlighted the importance of being able to convey messages in a clear and simple manner. From ‘Occam’s Razor’ principle in science to great thinkers such as Plato and Einstein; all agree on the beauty of simplicity. It is not however an easy thing to achieve and can be extremely difficult to be clear and succinct, especially about complex concepts. Blaise Pascal summarised this exact problem when he apologised for writing such a long letter, as he did not have the time to write a short one. So when we came across Genís Carreras’ ‘Philography’ project, we thought that it was only right that we shared it with you fine gents.

The Catalonian born and London based graphic designer and entrepreneur has expertly merged graphics and philosophy, juxtaposing complex concepts with simple shapes to create a colourful and engaging set of prints. Tackling concepts such as existentialism, nihilism, stoicism and many more -isms, the London designer has compiled an extensive collection of 95 philosophical theories.

Suzanne Labarre of Co.Design summarised the ingenuity of the project; “It takes the Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 28,250 words to explain the woolly concept of Relativism. It takes Genis Carreras 32 words and a single image. If you ask me, he doesn’t even need the text.” After examining Carreras’ pieces, it really is impossible to disagree with her.

The minimalist designs are subtle, clever and creative, managing to concisely define some of the most challenging and difficult schools of thought in an aesthetically pleasing way (depends on your notion of aesthetics of course). Available as a book, individual prints and postcards, these designs will most certainly have guests talking and maybe even questioning some of the most profound and complicated -isms out there.

To find out more about Genís Carreras and see more Philographics, go to:
http://geniscarreras.com/