The Daily Palette Vintage

THOMAS KNAUER
four inches of ego: or why everyone should be more like me [the only soldiers would be toys], book [page], 4"x 4", 2003

Thomas Knauer holds a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College, an MFA from Ohio University in Athens and an MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Dept. of Print Media, Bloomfield Hills, MI. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Drake University in Des Moines.

In his own words:
Recently I have made political activity the central focus of my public design practice. Within the context of design as conversational, design necessarily occupies the space of a voice. Thus it is incumbent upon me as designer to determine what I can do with my voice. Within the context of the continued drive for design to maintain an apolitical position, to regard itself as a tool, I believe it is of vital importance the practitioners continue design's history of social and political involvement and its long tradition of self-authored activity.

While I would never make so grand a claim as that anything I might do as a designer will change the world, at least I can use my voice to impact some part of it. To be honest, the way the world is going often scares me and I believe it is my responsibility to my role as a designer to give voice to my horror. When the communicators cease to care what they are saying, then we are all ultimately screwed.

This page was first published on January 21, 2005.

Thomas Knauer's website