This week, we are joined by special guest Evan Collins — architect, design archivist, and cofounder of Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute — for a conversation about the Institute's pioneering work in coining and defining the most fascinating aesthetics of the past half-century, including Indie Sleaze, Frutiger Aero, McBling, Whimsigothic, Shoe Diva, and many more. We discuss his foundational research into the Y2K aesthetic, the consumer incorporation of subculture, the challenges of community-based digital archiving, the benefit of researching ugly and unfashionable visual culture, and more.

Links:
Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute Official Website
CARI on Are.na
Evan Collins on Are.na
Evan Collins on Patreon (access to 700+ books and magazines!)
Art Deco of the 20s and 30s by Bevis Hillier
Blobjects and Beyond: The New Fluidity in Design by Steven Skov Holt and Mara Holt Skov