344 Poster 2002

Stefan Bucher · 2002 · Offset lithograph · 2 colors, spot gloss varnish · 18 × 24 in.

Created just two months after the September 11 attacks, this poster is Bucher's attempt to place the moment in the vast sweep of history. Every year from 1 through 2,200 is marked by a numbered dot on an 18×24 in. field, with the upcoming year 2002 visible under a magnifying loupe. Two hidden messages are encoded in the grid: read down the column for "have a safe and happy new year," and across the row for "every year is better for having you in it." The glass of the loupe got a clear spot varnish, as did a hidden word, "welcome," beside the eyepiece, designed to yellow and reveal itself over years of exposure to air. Printed by ColorNet in West Los Angeles.

Despite its sad origin, this may be my most calm and elegant poster, an 18 × 24 in. zen garden on paper.Stefan Bucher

View this poster in The 29 Collection