The Art of Looking Sideways

Alan Fletcher (1931–2006) was a British graphic designer whose work was described as witty and simplistic. He wrote and designed The Art of Looking Sideways and curated the content within it. It took about 20 years to complete as, overtime, he collected images, facts, information, memories, and quotes, meaningful or not, to be compiled into this 1064 page book. It is arranged in roughly 72 chapters, each section demonstrating an overabundance of information and the interaction between verbal and visual elements. The content is collected from around the world, including 390 black and white illustrations and 295 color illustrations.

The message across the front and back cover and the spine says: 

Words and pictures on how to make twinkles in the eye and colours agree in the dark. Thoughts on mindscaping, moonlighting and daydreams. Have you seen a purple cow? When less can be more than enough. The art of looking sideways. To gaze is to think. Are you left-eyed? Living out loud. Buy junk, sell antiques. The Golden Mean. Standing ideas on their heads. To look is to listen. Insights on the mind’s eye. Every status has its symbol. ‘Do androids dream of electric sheep?’ Why feel blue? Triumphs of imagination such as the person you love is 72.8% water. Do not adjust your mind, there’s a fault in reality. Teach yourself ignorance. The belly-button problem. Visual charades. What has an ox to do with the letter A? The art of looking sideways. How to turn knots into bows. When does 1 and 1 add up to 3? Why sit with your back to the view? Notes on the Blue Tit Syndrome, letterplay and visual puns. Patterns of chaos. Kissin’ cousins to camp. Half a word is enough for a quick ear. Some people think computers can’t. Civilization is chaos taking a rest. Too far east is west. Writing is the geometry of the soul. Why look at things upside down? Squaring the circle. 'If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.’ The sympathy of things. How to think by jumping. Never wait for yourself. A word in your eye. The art of looking sideways. Beauty is a flavour of quark. Cerebral acrobatics. By the way, what’s it like living with a paper bag over your head? Not referring to you of course- the uncommon exception to universal bondage.

Fletcher has described The Art of Looking Sideways as “a journey without a destination.”