J.G. Ballard’s High Rise
I am something of a fan of the disutopian genre. 1984, Brave New World, A Clockwork Orange, The Road Warrior and other similar works of art made a strong impression on me. I suppose it is not uncommon for those who were raised in the cold war with the ever present specter of nuclear annihilation hanging over our heads like an atomic sword of Damocles.
Similarly, books like Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies, with their unflinching examination of the darkness with in have always held a special allure for me. One such book, J.G. Ballard’s High Rise chronicles the decent of the white collar apartment dwellers from boring upstanding citizens into violent and primeval clans battling for supremacy. Pretty heady stuff indeed. There is a film coming out and I can’t wait for it.
I just read this fantastic article, Inside High-Rise by from Creative Review about the graphic design of the products featured in the film. It was such a great article I had to share. Designers Michael Eaton and Felicity Hickson did a fantastic job creating an oppressive milieu of a fictionalized London of the 1970’s in which the residents of the high rise will get to begin their journey into the heart of darkness, themselves. Check out the article, you won’t regret it. Though if you put a deposit in this particular high rise apartment, you might regret that.
