Brick Index

An extraordinary celebration of the ordinary brick.

After years of oversight, the building blocks of architectural progress and of urban development finally receive the praise they deserve. Yes, we’re talking about the ubiquitous brick. Recently launched by UK-based CentreCentre which prints books that explore the beauty of the mundane, Brick Index chronicles the history of the humble material. Edited by Patrick Fry, the book features an introduction by brick historian David Kitching and an essay from Professor Rick Poynor. For this book, London-based photographer Inge Clemente shot 155 bricks, which you can admire in actual size prints.

The images dispel any notion you may have about bricks all looking the same. In the book, the readers can find interesting details, such as marks stamped by UK brickworks, debossed graphics, and more. Of curse, the textures and colors also vary widely from one brick to the next. Printed in a limited edition of only 700 copies, Brick Index features 180 pages and 155 photographs. You can order your copy – if you can still find one- through the CentreCentre website. Photographs© CentreCentre and Inge Clemente.