Revolt of the Sage was an exhibition held by Blain|Southern in winter 2016–17. We were commissioned to design the accompanying publication. The exhibition and book both take their title from a work by Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico, painted in 1916, which depicts a crowded collection of ephemeral and everyday objects inhabiting a setting described by de Chirico as a ‘metaphysical interior’.
The exhibition explores this notion of a metaphysical interior, gathering together the work of a range of artists who use collage, juxtaposition, fragments, framing devices and layered imagery to explore ruptures in time and the alluring mysteries of the everyday. The book acts as a companion to the exhibition and also extends its ideas, including additional images of works that don’t appear in the show. The cover juxtaposes a bust of the Roman god Janus with an abstracted graphic reminiscent of mid-century book cover designs.
