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For our new inventory and a better vibe, head over to our new site at www.ao2worldwide.com While we transition, you’ll find some deals below. Thanks for your patience as we migrate.
Please note that all prices below are in USD. Aroundsquare is based in Victoria, Canada, and items ship worldwide. Standard shipping time is around two weeks to Canada and the United States, but can take longer (depending mostly on US Customs clearance). Normal shipping times to other countries are around three weeks. Please, and very kindly, understand that if you enter a wrong or incomplete address, the item you're purchasing probably won't get to you. Remember your apartment number, and correct zip code/ postal code!
For wholesale inquiries or other questions, please contact Aroundsquare. We encourage you to shop local, so please visit our growing list of retail partners to find one in your area, and if they aren't carrying the specific products you're interested in, ask them! Please feel welcome to leave a comment on our blog, review our products on amazon or email us: info@aroundsquare.com
Concept Deck (Cardistry Cards)
Concept Deck (Cardistry Cards)
The Concept Deck is a card deck designed purely for cardistry. The deck consists of 55 identical standard casino quality cards, with no faces, numbers, or pips. Instead, the deck is printed with a simple geometric pattern, in greyscale on one side and vibrant colour on the other side, which produces interesting pattners when the deck is fanned, and striking contrast during cuts and other card flourishes. At least eight distinct single fans are possible with this deck design, and many more variations are possible. The cards have a linen finish and are well polished for easy fanning. They have clean cut edges, and are moderately thick/ stiff compared to benchmarks like USPCC decks. The tuck box is very plain and simple in design.. as a proof of concept short run, we have focused on the cards themselves! Watch the trailer to see the cards in action!
The Concept Deck eschews conventional wisdom and conventional styling. Recognizing the art of cardistry as the manipulation of cards to produce stunning visual effects, and seeing this as distinct from other forms of card handling, such as magic, and casino games, Aroundsquare sought to produce a card design that would unlock the full potential of a card deck. The quest to produce a card purely for this purpose resulted in a string of design decisions that, collectively, have resulted in a truly distinctive card design.
The first decision was to drop the standard card faces, numbers, suits, and pips. If the cards are not being used for card games or magic tricks, then there is no need for this visual clutter. Instead, AO2 has used the entire printable area, front and back, for the sole purpose of visual effects. The Concept Deck has 55 identical cards.
The second decision was to think of the deck as a system, rather than a collection of individual cards. While each card is richly printed and sufficiently interesting on its own, the Concept Deck is designed so that the cards will work together, front and back, layered, fanned, flipped, and spread, to produce visual effects that are more than the sum of their parts. The intricate and subtle details of many artistic decks are lost during flourishing, so instead, Aroundsquare opted for big, bold, solid blocks that can be perceived quickly by the eyes.
The third decision was to drop the standard borders found on most cards, in favour of a full-bleed design with edge to edge printing. This adds to the fluidity observed during flourishing, while the geometry and contrasting colours of the printed design still create a separation of space and sense of movement during cuts. Perhaps more importantly, the borderless design also allows for fans and spreads in which the visual field is not constantly interrupted by contrasting colours.
The fourth decision was print the cards with the same pattern on both sides, but using vibrant full spectrum colours on one side, and a dark greyscale on the other. This results in a high degree of contrast between the two sides, which is striking during flourishes, and can evoke a very different look and feel depending on how the cards are displayed. Flashes of colour between dark grey cards, and flashes of darkness between the colours, add to the effect.
The fifth design decision was the card art itself, which uses a simple geometric pattern that is symmetrical when rotated but still allows four distinct corner patterns to be displayed. As a result, four different fan patterns can be created, using either side of the cards, making a total of eight simple fans possible, and many more if the cards are shuffled or layered. This artwork has also been designed to create uninterrupted patterns when laid flat, opening up interesting possibilities for table work.