Description:

We are told to not ‘judge a book by its cover’. The idiom suggests that we should never prejudge the worth or value of something solely based on its outward appearance, yet every book lover knows, that's exactly what a cover leads us to do! A book cover serves as a visual introduction of the content, sparking curiosity and inviting the reader to explore further. In just a few seconds, it offers something tangible to set the book apart on a crowded shelf.
‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’ is an exploration into the meaning behind the phrase, considering both the significance and possibilities of a book's exterior and the habit of forming judgments based on appearances. Through a series of exploratory volumes, the role, power and purpose of the book cover is challenged and examined, each volume questioning whether the idiom holds true or falls apart. Ultimately, the project asks, should a book be judged by its cover?

Volume five, ’38 things’ questions the cover's role in physically protecting the book. It presents the ultimatum: rip the cover to read the book, or to keep the book in perfect condition. Volume four, ‘Looking through’ challenges the known idea of the cover. With the entire book being transparent, the content becomes what is seen through the cover, therefore what is judged. Volume seven, ‘Beginning or ending’ questions the format of the book. The cover signals the beginning and ending of a book but what if the format does not determine the cover? The final volume is ‘The manifesto’. It determines that a book should be judged by its cover, as that is what it's there for. Here the content makes up the exterior of the book, leaving the inside pages blank and only the cover to be judged.

The book's cover plays a crucial role in forming the initial idea of the content. That split second judgement is the deciding factor whether one picks up the book or passes it by. With countless books in the world there is a point where a judgement needs to be made. Although it would be ideal to read a few pages of each book before judgement, the reality is you can’t get to know every book that you encounter, but the cover does give us a connection and starts the conversation between object and reader.