Charting the Future 1976

Curator: Well, this strikes me as rather optimistic. A vibrant green field populated by… what exactly? Editor: That's an astute opening, Herbert Bayer's 1976 print, “Charting the Future,” seems at first glance rather buoyant. Bayer, known for his contributions to the Bauhaus, often blended design principles with fine art. Here, we see geometric forms rendered in cool hues contained in this intriguing square format. Curator: Right. The composition definitely establishes order. That insistent grid creates a very organized, structured impression that the playful star or lunar crescent can't really interrupt. It all feels very diagrammatic. Editor: Indeed. Considering Bayer's involvement with the Bauhaus, this aligns with the movement's ethos of fusing art, craft, and technology. That star figure certainly resonates across cultures, it may signal guidance, aspirations, and possibly the complex nature of destiny, a compass. Then you see what looks like a flower and what looks like… infinity symbols? They appear isolated, each element with its own trajectory. Curator: I also find myself drawn to how he integrates these slightly whimsical symbols into a framework that could be a map or some type of field, those straight lines crossing through. It has the effect of merging an objective system with… what? Some collection of totems? This is definitely interesting. Editor: Perhaps the “future” in the title doesn't represent one single linear path but instead is a matrix of symbols whose interpretation is left open to the viewer. Curator: Good point. Maybe it asks if we can distill what shapes tomorrow. I suppose any symbol in that context becomes almost talismanic. Editor: Exactly! When I first looked at the piece, the green felt soothing. However, in light of our conversation, I now read that colour as a sign of anticipation—growth, yes, but also possibility and perhaps even risk. Curator: For me, the diagram is almost more evocative than any particular image on it. It has a sense of time; as the print pulls geometric forms together, I feel time both receding into traditions and arching forward toward a dawning of all things being measured, which might give pause. Thank you for charting that trajectory for us!