the square by bruno munari
the square (discovery of the square) by bruno munari.

"the square is high and as wide as a man with his arms outstretched. in the oldest writings and in the rock inscriptions of early man, it signifies the idea of enclosure, of home, of settlement. enigmatic in its simplicity, in the monotonous repetition of four equal sides and four equal angles, it creates a series of interesting figures..."

so begins bruno munari's introduction to 'the square'. this reprint of the 1960's edition remains a book about the simplest of shapes, with implications that are anything but simple. organized alphabetically - and covering a large portion of recorded history - 'the square' covers all areas of art and design from architecture (munari's primary area of work), to language, to the chess board. munari manages to not only show us the various incarnations and uses of the square, but he shows us why it's important. he also manages to make it important to us. recommended not just for art lovers, but for anyone who enjoys gaining a new perspective on the world around you.

152 b&w illustrations, text in english and italian.

dimensions : 6.1"w x 6.1"h : 152 pages : paperback