On Letters
Prem Krishnamurthy and David Knowles
Café & Bookstore
What’s the appeal of letters—both as crafted objects with a specific history, and as a mode of communicating, relating, and thinking? And in what way can critical writing learn something from this type of address?
In the third iteration of our “Dear Reader” series, author Prem Krishnamurthy and publisher David Knowles talk about the thoughts and processes behind On Letters (Domain, 2022), an epistolary essay, structured as thirteen wide-ranging and personal letters to the late conceptual artist On Kawara. They will also invite participants to collectively read and enact some of the exercises and practices outlined in the book.
This event is free and open to all and will be bookended by refreshments and casual conversation.
Playing with language and its limits, On Letters focuses first on Kawara’s five-decade-long body of “Date Paintings” and their relationship to typography. Yet from this starting point, the writing swerves to encompass topics such as the creative process, mindfulness, numbering systems, race, narrative structures, and more. On Letters is a unique glimpse into one artist’s inner dialogue and an exploration of how the solitary practice of artmaking can spark other transformations in the world.
A special edition of the book is limited to 60 numbered copies and includes a free editioned press sheet/poster
About the speakers
Prem Krishnamurthy is a designer, author, and educator. He directs Wkshps, a multidisciplinary design consultancy and organizes Department of Transformation, an emergent, itinerant workshop that practices collaborative tools for social change. He has directed and curated large-scale exhibitions including Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows, the 2022 edition of FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art; Our Silver City, 2094 at Nottingham Contemporary; and Ministry of Graphic Design in Sharjah, UAE.
Previously, Prem founded the design studio Project Projects and the exhibition space P! in New York. He received the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Communications Design in 2015 and KW Institute for Contemporary Art’s “A Year With…” residency fellowship in 2018. His professional papers were acquired by Bard College’s Center for Curatorial Studies in 2019.
Domain is a queer-led, design-forward publisher of original and archival work spanning a wide range of subjects working from Bushwick, Brooklyn.
The press emphasizes the unique character of the book form and the empathy and communion of publishing. Domain is founded and directed by the graphic designer David Knowles. Previous publications include: Linda Simpson’s The Drag Explosion exploring New York’s drag scene of the 1980s and 90s, So Since I’m Still Here Livin: A Youtube Tutorial a reader edited by Kelly Xio co-published with Open Forum and supported by Wendy’s Subway.
