Planning ahead for a look back

Tag this one under “long term plans,” I guess. I’m thinking about preparing a show… though for now I’m not doing any more than thinking about it because the show won’t debut for seven years.

See, I’ve had this idea, probably for at least a year now, of a 20-year retrospective of my design work. The idea seems numerically fortuitous: it would be a 20-year show held in 2020, examining my work with hindsight which is, of course, 20-20.

Reasoning other than numeracy…? Mmm… because it would entertain me? Because it would indulge my vanity and auto-fascination? Because, allowing that I’m sure it would not be an entirely original idea, I like the idea of putting together a kind of display of creative work that is usually reserved for fine arts, but seeing how it would work for graphic design instead? Because what else should I be doing?

I think it could be fun. Dig through 20 years of my work, pull things out of boxes that haven’t seen the light of day since the early aughts, perhaps re-create some items (with all of the technical challenges that could entail). Try to beg/borrow sample copies of books I’ve never even seen in finished form. Do some exhibit design. Put together promotions, and of course a gorgeous exhibit catalog. It could involve quite a bit of work, really, but… hey, I’m not above celebrating myself if no one else is going to do it. Plus… I have seven years, still.

Which is probably the biggest question mark in terms of “will I ever really do this,” because even though it can go by awfully fast at this age, seven years is still quite a bit of time; a lot can happen. Will I still be working as a designer? Probably, but difficult to say. Where will I be living at the time? Reply hazy ask again later. But it’s something I’m thinking about, for now.

We’ll see.