Braun Publishing AG

Placing large sticks in the snow is most likely the oldest method in the world for marking a way in winter. The ancient method has remained unaffected throughout centuries, and in modern Switzerland snow posts are as commonplace as ever before. Their use is not subject to any regulations as neither size nor color nor material are specified and every community is free to apply its own rules and systems. This box of cards, "Schneezeichen", presents this particular aspect of Swiss culture. For many years, the author has collected a large number of these prototypes of visual communication and photographed them individually. The undefined white-gray background is a connotation of snow that maintains the familiar color scheme of the theme, while at the same time deleting and decontextualizing any practical aspects. In this ambiguity the signs can gain their own language, revealing their true nature to the observer.

This memo-game is based on a very special concept: the colors follow the format used in Johannes Itten’s color theory: red for a square, blue for a circle, yellow for a triangle, orange for a trapezium, green for a spherical triangle, and purple for an ellipse. The colors are shown with the corresponding form, which increases their specific impression. Furthermore, each color is presented in six different nuances; this increases the perception of the color tones and supports the creative process of finding new names to specify the individual forms. As the cards are turned over new color contrasts are revealed; these can also be used to intensify knowledge of color theory. Thus, these cards must not just be used for playing the memo-game, they can also be used for inspiration and for experimenting with different color combinations, series and tones.