Abstract City

May 14, 2012
If OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) were an art form, Niemann would be Michelangelo. He does best concocting a graph to illustrate his fluctuating coffee cravings; a pie-chart to isolate the components of that slippery beast, the Really Great Idea; or even a photomontage designed to underscore the difficulties of combating lint. His undeniable graphic prowess becomes diluted when he focuses on the Berlin Wall over 10 pages, as well-meaning as his intentions may be. “She was the wall’s first official victim,” writes Niemann, about Ida Siekmann. “And here I was, pitying myself because I had slept only a few hours and couldn’t get my DSL connection up and running.” Indeed. There’s nothing really abstract about Abstract City, a compilation retracing Niemann’s often self-aggrandizing New York Times blog, but he does have an uncanny knack for encapsulating those anecdotal-yet-unavoidable moments that constitute the background chatter of a New Yorker’s existence, like shopping at Fairway. He does almost equally well describing the more serious vagaries of metropolitan life, such as the subway system and the weather. Most satisfying is the section Niemann devotes to “unpopular science,” in which his linear art and his fastidious, analytical wit mesh perfectly, distilling some wicked good humor.

Starred review from September 1, 2012

This title is a compilation of the 16 essays originally published in Niemann's (regular contributor, The New Yorker, New York Times, Wired; That's How!) eponymous visual blog for The New York Times, which ran from 2008 to early 2011. The appeal of Neimann's work resides in his ability to capture absurdities in everyday life, much like the classic New Yorker art of Saul Steinberg. Subways and road maps are frequent topics in Niemann's illustrations, in which the directional symbols become metaphors for songs, games, dance steps, and foods. In this book, Niemann's visual essays--which are, in fact, lists, figures, and charts created with drawings, computer graphics, and photographed objects--present his perceptions of New York City in thought-provoking ways; for example, one diagram describes how to poke a muffin from the side to test for freshness; another group of small Lego sculptures illustrate different coffee drinks. VERDICT A masterpiece of sophisticated humor, this is a brilliant, one-of-a-kind work that will interest readers who enjoy compilations of comic strips and magazine art.--Eric Linderman, Willoughby-Eastlake P.L., Willowick, OH

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