A History of the World (in Dingbats)

In this quirky and moving work, musician and artist Byrne (How Music Works) provides an amusing and thoughtful examination of humanity through the creative use of dingbats. During the Covid-19 lockdown, Byrne began a series of lighthearted doodles in the typographical tradition of “dingbats,” or “little drawings and icons that are often used to break up imposing and intimidating blocks of text.” But, as he writes, the drawings soon took on a different, deeper meaning, becoming a sort of record of the mood that enveloped that era. His early sketches represent uncomplicated, simpler times, in the form of inanimate objects such as rocks, but they soon become more evocative. A drawing called “Infinite Sofa,” for instance, evokes the “new normal” of social distancing, with people spread what looks like six feet apart on a couch that stretches on endlessly. Punctuated by Byrne’s own poetic musings (“Thoughts and feelings accumulate, like unread books and junk mail”), other drawings ruminate on the intricacies of everyday life. “Life Is Good” showcases how life in a big city can somewhat resemble living in a gigantic ant farm, while pieces including “Reading Each Other” and “Seeing Through You” are particularly potent for their intimate depictions of human contact. Despite its seemingly light premise, this is an excellent analysis of the self-reflection brought on by the pandemic. (Mar.)