The Friday Fillip

The New York Times is the source of a great many wonderful things — as befits a newspaper that has been the doyenne of the American print press for generations. And, thankfully, not all of these wonderful things are serious or even news-related. As a signal example of this, I present Abstract City, a blog of illustrations by Christoph Niemann. Here, of course, words fail, but copyright reigns; in such a circumstance, perhaps, Wittgenstein would advise: “Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.” But what did he know?

Having already pointed you in the right direction, I want as well to show you a bit of what’s in store. Niemann’s current “post” has to do with maps — but his version of maps as they might be used to diagram notions. Thus:

Twenty-one further delights follow, including a witty map of a “New Brunswick.”

If this sort of gentle gestural satire appeals, as well it might after a wordy week at work, you’ll find dozens more examples of Niemann’s work in earlier posts, all using illustration in surprising ways.