Production Narrative

by J. Drucker

Critical Analysis

by E. Rettberg

Design Features

typographic: A variety of fonts are used throughout, much like avant-garde manifestos.

imagery: Photographs claiming to be "Images made by people in the addiction business" are printed throughout the book; these images appear to come from print advertisements for a variety of products--perfume, for example.

graphical: Various charts map the power dynamics of the addiction to the idea of addiction that the book claims as a central device for power in our medicalized society.

openings: The varying design of spreads simultaneously suggests the design of a medical pamphlet and the ad-filled design of a consumer magazine.

Critical Discussion

The book envisions a situation wherein the power complex of society actually gets its victims to pay for their medical punishment in a step beyond a Foucauldian discipline & punish model. Part of the book's effect is achieved by parodying the stylings of a pamphlet that a patient might use to learn more about a disease with which they are afflicted. The book tries to convince its reader that the medicalization of society--the situation wherein overconsumption of anything can be called an "addiction"--is the true malady, and the only cure comes in the back cover's adminition, above a photograph of a smarmy-looking pie salesman: "Refuse to Consume."

Action is Addiction

Agents

Critical Art Ensemble

type: initiating

role:
designer
author
publisher

nationality:
active: United States

dates:
other: 1987-00-00 founded

Publication Information

edition type: editioned

publisher: self-published

dates:
publication: 1992-00-00

Measurements

horizontal: 7 inches closed

vertical: 11 inches closed

depth: .125 inches closed

Production Information

production means:
offset (local)

binding: other stapled

substrate:
bookBlock: paper white, card-stock weight

media:
ink (local)

Appearance

format: codex (AAT)

cover: The cover is made of a gray on the outside, white on the inside stock. The front cover depicts the title over the medical symbol of Hermes' staff.

color: no

Content

pagination: unpaginated 15 pages

numbered?: unnumbered

signed?: unsigned

Colophon

none