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Understood Backwards

Understood Backwards

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." - Soren Kierkegaard
This simple observation from Kierkegaard’s journals sets the stage for his philosophy on the nature of experience, time, regret and the existential necessity of faith.

Kierkegaard was considered the father of existentialism, and later existentialist thinkers such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus built on the ideas he put forth in his great work, Fear and Trembling.

In our illustration, a ship ventures into unknown waters--a sea of illegible futures. Only in the wake it leaves behind can one make sense of its course and its meaning. 

SPECIAL OFFER
Any 3 prints for $48 (regularly $72)
Code: 3PRINTS
See all prints here 

• 11x14 inch art print with white border 
• Premium, fine art paper made in New York 
• Elegant eggshell finish
• Ships in a a rigid, flat mailer. No need to unroll! 
• Fits into standard 11x14 frames (or a 16x20 frame matted to 11x14) 

Custom sizes available HERE



$ 24.00

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About Us

Obvious State is a creative studio and independent press founded by Nichole and Evan Robertson in 2011. We make bold, conceptual art that makes you think again.

In the age of clickbait, infotainment, and overstimulation, slow thought has become a luxury. Our work exists to change that. Every piece is handcrafted by Evan — art and language that provoke thought, inspire curiosity, and make the ideas that have always mattered feel urgent again.

Our books and prints are available in our shop and in bookstores and boutiques nationwide.

Our work has been featured at The Folger Shakespeare Library, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The American Writers Museum, The Emily Dickinson Museum, The Library of Congress, The Getty Museum, The Museum of Contemporary Art and more.