SPARK
SI001, from issue1, 2021.
I AM NOT A TERRIBLE HOARDER BUT I DO COLLECT A LOT.
Zak Jensen is a thoughtful graphic artist who currently runs the graphic design department of the Harvard Art Museums, occasionally teaches, makes t-shirts, and thinks about peace.
My colleague Marry (Banas) told me about a t-shirt you two designed together. The only aspect she revealed about the process is that your mind makes odd connections. Can you run me through the process of designing that t-shirt?
Everpress is a company that makes t-shirts. They were doing a collection that was based on collaboration and asked me to do it. So I asked Mary to do it with me. That was early in the pandemic when this idea of social distancing was entirely new, and we were all starting to grapple with what this means. So, we built those numbers, Roman numerals, and then XX for 2020. The holes in the letterforms felt like socially distanced individuals. Even though it was quick, we were both delighted with how the T-shirts looked in the end.
What about your other Everpress collaboration named 12/25, about Christmas? The description says that it is speculative and subjective, in which ways?
It was, again, just an invitation to make a holiday shirt, and they wanted not predictable holiday merch. A lot of my personal work involves collecting images. Often reference images, or stock images, things that are supposed to go into a dictionary or an encyclopedia. So I wanted to make the t-shirt about the history of Christmas but keep it really cryptic. You could decipher it if you really tried. There’s the cola dictionary definition, which is connected to Coca-Cola, who invented the modern Christmas as it is in the US through their marketing. There’s a mistletoe that is linked to all sorts of Christmas traditions, mainly in Northern Europe. So, I followed a pretty conceptual logic to create a visual surprise. I like that kind of design approach where you devise a logic. In the case of the t-shirt, I choose images from a secular perspective (nonreligious). Then, combined those images into a Christmas shirt that looks nothing like a Christmas shirt but is 100% about Christmas.
You mentioned that a lot of your personal work derives from collected imagery. How much of a hoarder are you, and how does hoarding relate to your design practice?
If you look up here, I’ve got a shelf full of boxes. I try to keep most of my collections pretty organized. They’re not too crazy because I keep them reasonably specific. You know, I’ve got my plastic lids, I got all my plastic bottles. Nets. Bread ties. Reference books. It’s definitely a visible presence in my life. But I probably wouldn’t make it onto a reality TV show episode as the uncanny collector. How does the collection relate to my practice? I’m always figuring that out myself. On the one hand, they can relate to my work as just visual references. For instance, the typography of those plastic lids is very much determined by what that lid has to do and how it’s made. Those place constraints on how the typography is rendered. I find those limitations fascinating. Then, in other ways, they come directly into my work, like with the Christmas t-shirt or with some images I’ve been making of combining objects into still-life/collages. I’m always playing around with new ways to use my collections in my work.
What are the things you hold on to in life that are not physical?
Processes? Ways of approaching, whether planning a trip, teaching a class, or making a design project... Maybe ideals (!). Ideals about how the world should work and what’s fair, and what’s worth aspiring to? I’m always figuring that out. But for me fairness and justice, and equity are our big ones.
Talking about fairness, justice, equity… What about your publication, Peace Clock?
That’s actually one that came back around from a sketchbook for me. Years ago, I had drawn a clock out of peace signs. I was thinking about the idea of the peace that’s constantly changing and never quite perfect. And how a clock would just do that perfectly. For two or three years, I didn’t do anything more with the sketch, but I returned to it one day with renewed enthusiasm. That was the rebirth of the 12 Peaces project. I posted some sketches of my original piece clock on Instagram, and a friend sent me a message on Instagram saying it would make a fantastic screensaver. I knew my programming skills were nonexistent, but his coding was outstanding. So, we collaborated on that and made the digital version of the clock as a screensaver.
I’ve been recently thinking about how America is going through a hard time. Will we ever have peace?
We’ll make progress. One of the main things I wanted to get out with the peace clock is that it’s a process. It’s not a goal or a fixed state. It’s an ongoing process that never ends. And it’s always relative. What does peace mean? What is it for me? What is it for you? How does it change from one day to the next? If we ever achieved a state resembling peace, equity, and justice for everybody, it would be over as soon as we got it. We’d be back to the process of trying to get there. So, the short answer is no. But I think it’s important to just keep the process going.
I would be skeptical of anyone who declares they are at peace with themselves. Part of the human experience is figuring out who you are and what to do in the world. Trying to reconcile: Who do you want to be? Who do you present yourself to be? What do you aspire to be? Who are you? What are you doing every day?
What are the ways human beings are being human beings?
The great paradox that is absolutely everything. Language is arguably the one thing distinguishing humans from all other animal life on the planet. It’s really what makes us human.
Collaboration is the reason that we are here on planet Earth.
Perfect point. Language facilitates the unique cooperation you don’t see in most other species. You could argue that ants and bees cooperate even better than we do. So maybe cooperation balanced by competition is more of a human quality. What about all of these other uniquely human notions like… art?
Humans must be the most hedonistic species. Travel across the globe to see an art show. I can’t imagine birds doing that... What about travel? How do you pack for a trip? How do you plan?
Oh, God, tons of research. The question is: Well, what should the trip feel like? Why are we even going on a trip? What do we want? From there, figuring out what we want and then choosing a place… It’s a cliche, but graphic designers packing their bags often look very similar: clothes neatly arranged on the bed, nicely rolled, bagged, and compartmentalized. But I would say what’s unique about my approach is just those first questions.
What can we expect from you in the near future?
I’m pretty occupied with museum projects, especially books that are coming out. One is an after-the-fact exhibition catalog for our Bauhaus exhibition last year, and another one is called Devour The Land. It’s about war and American landscape photography since 1970. Likewise, I’m hoping to make some new editions of my art. I use that term loosely. That may mean prints or t-shirts, TBD. I’ve got to get through these museum books before I have any creative space left in my head to devote to art. You need headspace to be an artist.
SI001.