Contemporary Visual Arts Book Design and Publishing

Research title – MORE ideas

neringaplange — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:27:47 +0000

Books for Arts: Design and Publishing

Self Indulgent Books: Design and Publishing

Fine Books: Design and Publishing

First two Interviews – the obvious

neringaplange — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 07:26:17 +0000

Yesterday (23.06.2010) I had my first interview recordings. Not just that: two in one day – success. One is with Cas from The Whitechapel Gallery Bookshop. The second one is with Richard Embrey from The Four Corners Books. Both are in London and both interviews were quite general on publishing from a small and independent publishers point of view. I asked questions about how the whole process works, rather obvious, yet not for someone who has never worked in publishing before. I really enjoyed listening and talking to them both. Very helpful and friendly people. I now have two more interviews planned which came out of those two interviews. One should be with Hannah, Press officer from the Whitechappel. The second one would be with the print and Productions specialist Martin Lee. I would like after that to talk to the designers of these little publishers. And that might be it for the case study of the Small publishers.

After that I want to find out how it all works in the bigger companies. I have a particular one in mind – Pentagram. I have been reading lots about their current and latest work from their tweets. One just have to see the new cover redesigned for all if the Nabokov’s novels. Absolutely stunning illustration work. I have emailed them once, but I am presuming they are busy and my email is in their Spam box. So I definitely need to email them again and phone up to check if they’ve received it to be able ot arrange a meeting.

I have a lot of typing to do from my recorded interviews!.. So I am off for now.

Books from London on books and also other books

neringaplange — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:01:20 +0000

While in London I popped into Taschen book shop which is nearby Saatchi Gallery. They have a great selection of books. I have taken a few pics, had a chat to a friendly sales guy. I came across this book:

“Contemporary Graphic Design” by Charlotte & Peter Fiell, TASCHEN. That book had Irma Boom featured. I have seen her work from Adrian Shaughnessy’s Tweet the other day. Irma Boom seems to be a confident designer. I think I should get in touch with her. She is based in Amsterdam, but I could even do an interview over email.

This leads me to the other book I came across recently: “Manifesto for the book” by Sarah Bodman and Tom Sowden (186 pages). You can download it here. It is a bright pink cover book on the right. So from this book I got an idea of other ways to interview like: emails! It also taught me of a new form to present research, which is presenting many many interviews. In the “Manifesto for the book” there is a good variety and selection of interviews with various artists, from different countries. And also about the same amount of Case Studies which are mostly texts written without question and answer manner. So I now I have quite a few options for collecting my research:

- Interviews (recorded and retyped), Q&A via emails, perhaps a SKYPE interview (if overseas),case studies presented as texts by the people involved.

I find it extremely important because without the direct approach, interaction or response from the artists/designers/publishers/shop assistants of bookshops I would only have to mostly rely on information found Online.

New books from London and other books

neringaplange — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:35:34 +0000

“Contemporary Graphic design” by Charlotte & Peter Fiell, TASCHEN. I saw Irma Boom name in it and she is really good and confident designer of books. I know about her from A. Shaughnessy’s Tweet.

” Design and Art” edited by Alex Cole. I found a few familar names in it (Experimental Jetset, M/M and others from the earlier decades of the 20th century like Paul rand, Andy Warhol). These talented people/artists/designers have influenced the graphic design we have today and that is very important. Their articles or interviews give a good explanation and definitely is a food for thought in terms of creativity and design today. It is inseparable now, yet earlier in the century the perception was not so formed. This book might help me with some quotes of how or even why designers go and do creative stuff. Why designers want to have no limits and no briefs. That is totally applicable to Book Design in the contemporary, as far as I am concerned.

Interviews in June

neringaplange — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:14:44 +0000

The Four Corners Books which I was told about by Cas from The Whitechappel Gallery.

BookArtBookShop found previously online.

more to come after I meet them tomorrow, no, Today.

Research in London

neringaplange — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:59:16 +0000

I went to London in June (21-24th) to just visit places I have found online so far: BookArtBookShop, Whitechappel Art Gallery, Design Museum and of course Tate Modern.

I managed to pop into The White Cube and Saatchi Gallery too. Lovely work of art. I haven’t been to Saatchi Gallery before: loved the dynamics of the classic and contemporary features of architecture.

Back to my Subject. I am still deciding what to call my research, when I ask for books on Visual Arts I get a question back: what sort of Visual Arts?.. Photography, Illustration?… And I am not looking for Artist’s Books either. So right now I am thinking to of something like – Books for Arts: design and publishing. It is in progress of growing into the final name yet, not final.

So I visited the lovely Whitechappel Gallery book shop and having a chat to her I realized that everything she was saying to me was relevant to my research. Cas is lovely, she agreed to be interviewed tomorrow 10am. I will only voice record it and there I have my first Interview!!! Looking forwards to it with questions in mind:

- London, Nation wide scene of graphic arts book design and publishing;

- What type of publications does Whitechappel produce? Why? How does the process work?

- Any ideas on E-book?

If we are short of questions I will ask her:

- What is your favourite book and why?

- Any suggested literature or relevant places to visit and people to meet?

Fingers crossed that this is the beginning of something. I am intending to retype all my recorded interviews into a book. I am planning to interview some small publishers like: “The Four Corners” and bigger ones like Pentagram. Then get interviews from designers and printers.

Liverpool University Press

neringaplange — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:02:16 +0000

Searching far and away I realized I need to find out exactly what is going on here or around Liverpool.

First on the list: Liverpool University Press which has published a few books I have on my shelves, i.e. Liverpool Biennial ‘s Catalogue “Made Up” International 08 (ISBN: 9781846311710). The catalogue was designed by Thoughtful (blog and website) and edited by Paul Domela.

The kind of books…

neringaplange — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:25:49 +0000

Some lovely articles on different books here.

It is only sad that the last post has been written in January 2010. Joseph Sullivan has been writing the blog posts about various books for 5years now. He lives in Chicago, Il.

It would be great to meet him and find out what made him go for this adventure and what is the outcome if it is possible to put this question in the right words. I guess sharing was the main point. But I am more interested what has he personally gained from the BDR – Book Design Review?…

Ellen Lupton

neringaplange — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:49:10 +0000

It was funny to come across a video of her speaking about product design, which you can watch in Ellen Lupton’s new website. Only later I read that she is a graphic designer/ author in New York. I very well remember the book “Thinking With Type”! I also remember looking at the book “Indie Book Publishing” , which I came across a good while ago in book shop ‘Waterstones’ in Liverpool. She has edited /designed informative and well presented books. It is interesting to find out that the book “Indie Book Publishing” was published by Princeton Architectural Press, which I have also looked at researching! Yes, I love it when I find connections and it the research starts to make sense.

David Bennewith

neringaplange — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:33:22 +0000

I have contacted David before with regards to the typefaces for last semester’s projects. He seems to be very kind and helpful. He has worked on a lovely book about Joseph Churchward’s typefaces -which I would like to find out how did it. Well, possible interview.

“David Bennewith, the composer of this volume, first at the Werkplaats Typografie then to the post-academic Jan van Eyck Academie in the Netherlands, undertook sustained research into Churchward’s work, and assembled this spirited analyses of his cult oeuvre. Bennewith’s emphasis was on making as a form of research, so the book tracks the usage of Churchward’s work and is structured as an on-going, open conversation between users.

This small-edition publication presents an overview of the work of Churchward, compiling archive material, correspondence, realised and un-realised designwork, and alphabet designs. Visual material is interspersed with essays on aspects of Churchward’s practice by New Zealand and overseas writers and designers.” Read the full article here

Joseph Churchward attempts to tell the story-in-process of New Zealand’s most prolific designer of letters to date. It comprehensively details Churchward’s myriad type designs – a total resource for type geeks of all ages. It includes a dustjacket that is also a typeface ready-reckoner poster.