one deck of playing cards by tauba auerbach

one deck of playing cards by tauba auerbachall images courtesy of tauba auerbach

one deck of playing cards is designed by artist tauba auerbach which comes in two series – one based on mathematical functions and the other on geometric shapes, typical of auerbach’s work. functions uses basic math functions, + – x ÷ as the suits. the face cards are platonic solids and jokers are ≠ and ∞. instead of using the typical red and black, the suits are black on a white background or white on a black background, so the deck is half white and black. this draws on auerbach’s previous 50/50 work – a book published by deitch projects consisting of 100 pages of 100 patterns, 50% white, 50% black. each suit and its counterparts are opposites – black on white, with subtraction of white on black. these functions also cancel out or counteract each other mathematically, so they are inversions of both color and function.

shapes

the shapes deck uses four geometric shapes as suits, representing the original suits in a abstract way. this deck uses red and black on white with the royal family represented as platonic solids like the functions deck. jokers are represented by scribbles and amoebas. auerbach creted original art and three new typefaces – king, queen, knave – for the project.

the shapes slide box open

functions slide box

the decks come in a hand numbered, blind-de-bossed, linen slide box with ribbon lift and pull-tab. each deck is produced in an edition of 250 with 10 artist proofs, and was produced in collaboration with brent dzekciorius of DZEK.

the embossed linen boxes with pull-tabs

the limited edition sets are hand-numbered

tauba auerbach graduated with a BA in visual arts from stanford university her work has recently been featured in exhibitions at the new museum in new york and the SFMoMA. she currently has a sola show titled here and now/and nowhere at deitch projects in new york. she lives and works in new york and san francisco.