Fans of organization, mathematics and music will enjoy the work of graphic designer Jax de Leon. For his senior project at SUNY Purchase, de Leon submitted Sufjan Stevens’ album “Come on Feel the Illinoise” to rigorous deconstruction into graphical layout. The results include, among others, word usage circles like targets, a sweeping, multicolor list of lyric content, and a beautiful, minimalist wheel of words that follow the word “the.” Only a listener of great—and likely obsessive—regard for a performer could produce such a painstaking analysis. The process adds a layer of translation to Steven’s music—from notes and lyrics rendered in sound, to sound rendered again into a formal and artistic interpretation.
Sufjan Stevens In Rainbows
Julie Greicius
Julie Greicius was Art Editor for The Rumpus when it launched in January 2009. One year later, she became Senior Literary Editor, and later, Senior Features Editor. Julie also co-edited the first book published by The Rumpus, Rumpus Women, Vol. 1, featuring personal essays and illustration from twenty kick-ass contributors. Her writing been featured on The Rumpus, Midnight Breakfast, Stanford Medicine Magazine, and BuzzFeed, as well as in the anthology The 27th Mile. She lives in California and is a member of The Rumpus Advisory Board.