Chris Harnan's World Problem Solution Book is a diary, but not in the traditional sense

World Problem Solution Book is a diary, but not in the traditional sense. Produced over two years, the book is a visualisation of sporadic moments, conversations and memories penned by illustrator Chris Harnan. “It’s a representation of a period of time in my life, for sure,” he tells It’s Nice That, “but one that has been bastardised and spoilt through re-evaluating the events again and again.”

Printed on four-colour Risograph and with 176 pages, the drawings in World Problem Solution Book which was published by Studio Operative, vary in style though are distinctly Chris’. The book features the same characters, made of computer-generated straight lines which were very much his focus last time we spoke to him. World Problem Solution Book, however, juxtaposes these with much more organic line work, the result of various drawing techniques.

Chris didn’t intend to bring the drawings together in a body of work but “at some point the form and worth of the book became clear,” he explains. “It wasn’t always done with some great real intention, and that’s good, I don’t think a diary is meant to be.”

Whether featuring a few simple lines of text on a page, or a comic strip-style spread full of drawings, everything was made in reaction to things that were happening in Chris’ life at that time. “I like it because I hope people can see a level of tenderness and humanity, while simultaneously, the lack of a clear narrative consistency is meant to be an experiment in free interpretation and anti-clarification – which can make it seem the opposite; abstract and alien,” he remarks.

Having previously interned at Hort, Chris is now based in south London. He works part-time at an architectural practice, a job which affords him the freedom of choosing which kinds of projects he would like to work on, he explains, concluding that “this is my first book since being able to do so.”