for the third consecutive year, spanish publisher ‘index book’ is inviting graphic design and motion design artists from all over europe to submit their work from 2011, see the call for entries for selected c here, several of our projects were featured in the first edition ‘selected a’ two years ago…
the museum hilversum which, oddly enough is situated in hilversum, has just launched a new exhibition on the golden era of dutch design (yes yet another one), fortunately the dutch penchant for graphic design nostalgia has been balanced out with new work by some of the better names around at the moment: featuring amongst others:
(old then new) Wim Crouwel, Dick Bruna, Otto Treumann, Mart Kempers en Dick Elffers, Hansje van Halem, René Knip, Harmen Liemburg, Michiel Schuurman, Job Wouters and Richard Niessen
the online photobook publisher ‘blurb’ is branching out into e-publishing, thany books already uploaded for print will also be available to publish digitally, which opens up some interesting new possibilities for ipad presentations i think..
last friday i had a long, inspiring lunch with mister syb who shared some of his work with me and very generously left an enormous pile of photo books behind… the result of the past two years work…
a very impressive and inspiring result i should add, alongside new books for ‘carla van de puttelaar’ and ‘viviane sassen’ amongst many others was the above title ‘series’ for (previously unknown to me) mexican photographer ‘enrique mentinides’ with heartbreaking stories that have been sublimely edited by ‘syb’ into the narrative form
if anything, his latest crop of work demonstrates that he, as a book designer, has long passed the stage of being merely the ‘assembler’ of information to actively playing the part of a conductor, as it were, steering the music and creating a coherent and unique composition from the existing elements: picture & word, at his disposition
he has perhaps even assumed the role of co-author, albeit one who clearly aims to magnify or dramatise the material he is given to greater effect; rather than intending to create his own new tune…
i will post more detailed reviews on some of the books soon, but there is so much to write about that it may take a while… meanwhile ‘syb’ has thankfully promised to update his own spartan website in the near future… i’ll keep you posted and many thanks to ‘syb’ for the inspiring gifts