ABSTRACT
Readers of a 1950 product catalogue published by the Associated American Artists were greeted on page one with a striking graphic: photographs of domestic living spaces, silhouetted in irregular, quasi-biomorphic shapes, branded with insistent black “x”s – three in the living room, two in the stairway, one in the dining room (Figure 10.1). What were these troubling “x” marks? The legend in the corner indicated that the X equaled “Apology Areas,” and then explained: “When your guests enter a room, are there certain blank spots (like those shown above) which you always really feel like apologizing for – wall areas that seem to ‘cry’ for pictures? This catalogue shows you how inexpensively you can win compliments for tasteful use of these areas.” 1
