Word::Icon::Place

mIEKAL aND is busy recreating a past both futuristic and ancient.

He has recently released an edition of logokons: an alphabetic bitmap narrative of the endless society under the Xerox Sutra Editions imprint.* mIEKAL might call it a narrative, but logokons is more glossary that chronicle. What we find in its pages are bold bitmapped images working at the level of the pixel—or, at least, the pixel-thought, since every image is created out of squares arranged in rigid patterns. There are no curves in this world, simply right angles. But there is much a right angle can do.



We know we are living in a dictionary, because the items in the book are arranged in alphabetical order. Under each glyph is a word or phrase releasing its meaning: “archivity,” “driftless permaculture,” “dzly,” “noisecore,” “zingtut,” among dozens others. The meaning of some is quite clear, or at least quite believable: the connection between the visible sign and the invisible meaning is sure. In other cases, the connection might be less tangible, but no less real: We have to believe the dictionary.


The book, which I should point out is by both mIEKAL and his son Liaizon Wakest, focuses on concerns mIEKAL has had for years: digital culture, agriculture, zaum culture, and, certainly, visual signs, ancient writing, glyphic meaning systems, and visual poetry. mIEKAL has categorized this book (see the back cover) as “visual poetry / bitmap typography.” Note that all the subtitling definitions in the book appear in the Glyph Millennium typeface created by mIEKAL, a typeface perfectly suited for these digital images.


This slim volume continues (even though it is a resurrection of an old work) mIEKAL’s project to find the far point of visual writing, to re-create the symbolism and sense-feel of ancient writing, to imbue visual images with linguistic meaning, to be the demigod of his own alphabet. Even an undisciplined flip through these pages will be a revelation of the unquenchable power of imagination.

Though mIEKAL has provided me no hints (so far as I recall), I’ve discovered a number of ways people can enjoy this work from the comfort of their homes. They can click through the images, one by one, at the Xexoxial Editions website. They can buy the book for US$6.11 at Lulu. Or they can download a PDF from Lulu for a mere $0.38.

One of these options is free, and the navigation through the book in this form is painless. The PDF is convenient but (like the online version) it comes sans the attractive blue cover of the book. The book is the most costly, though cheap, but, boy, does the glossy cover display your fingerprints. I’ve spent part of the night drawing my own glyphs on the cover of the book with my fingerprints.

Now, all I need to do is define them.

_____

* Which imprint mIEKAL (under the name Miekal And) and Lyx Ish (under the name Liz Was) retired in the mid-1980s, replacing it with Xexoxial Editions.

ecr. l’inf.