One of the first things I did was look at what authors we should be reintroducing to a new generation of readers, and Tom Wolfe just made a ton of sense. At this particular moment, there seems to be something in the air about Tom Wolfe as a cultural critic-someone with a really keen eye [on] the absurd and the sort of outrageous.
The thing about Seymour's art and Tom's writing, and why it makes such a perfect marriage of subject with artist, is because Seymour can tip to a retro vibe without making it feel dated. When you're reading Tom, you're reading a piece of history, but you're also reinterpreting it anew in the context of our current cultural moment.
Perhaps the best thing that Chwast's new kaleidoscopic set of covers does is free the titles from the aesthetic moorings of any single decade. The last time Wolfe's catalog got a revamp was around 2008, and if you take a look at the author's backlist from over the years, the passage of time is indeed evident.
I've always been such a huge fan of Seymour's work, so it was probably also a bit of a selfish decision [to collaborate on this project]. His ability to capture Tom Wolfe's absurd yet telling critique of society through vibrant visual art creates a lasting connection.
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