The work of Nancy Skolos and Tom Wedell invigorates the fields of design and photography as well as blurs the distinction between the two. Their collaborative creative process has often been described by the phrase “one brain, two bodies,” which characterizes the seamless integration of their two disciplines. Skolos and Wedell create sculptural, surreal compositions that blend image and text through layering, texturing and collage. Rather than relying simply on text to communicate a message, Skolos and Wedell harness the power of imagery to pack a loaded punch. This particular poster, created for the Lyceum Fellowship is a preeminent example of how Skolos and Wedell use their unique aesthetic to transmit information.
The mission of the annual Lyceum Fellowship is to advance the profession of architecture by engaging students in design and travel. Winners are awarded traveling fellowships, with the belief that travel is a transformative experience that would help students of architecture understand how their ideas fit into the real world. In 1991, competitors were obliged to design a bicycle factory located on the site of the largest city in the pre-industrial world near present day Mexico City. The Lyceum’s jury recognized that while bicycles are vehicles for leisure or sport, in some countries bicycles are a necessity of life, providing free access to food, water, work, and the community.
In this poster as well as many of Skolos and Wedell’s designs, photography is not only an integral part of the composition, but also the starting point. Once shot, the images are manipulated and layered both manually and with the help of computer technology until the final work is complete. An explanation with text of the fellowship is incorporated into the overall poster design, but the fragmented constituents of a bicycle take center stage. What at first glance appears to be a surreal cluster of abstract images, becomes an ingenious tribute to the bicycle upon closer scrutiny. By “reading” the imagery in the poster rather than the text, viewers can identify the prompt without depending on words to explain.