Using this source to identify definitions of the book as form and concept to compare to principles of the artist book and independent publishing.
Views 'the books as a material space for critical self-reflection and exchange'
Writing about the book from a designers perspective.
The book is a response to Jan Tschichold's collection of essays published as 'The Form of the Book: Essays on the morality of good design' which provide recommendations on how to produce books that are well designed and historically grounded.
'Ten Common Mistakes in the Production of Books'
Gives designers rules and principles to follow during production which is often disregarded or manipulated by artists - Although modern artist books are following modernist design principles - Feeding off each other?
p.7 - Le Corbusier as Book Designer
Catherine de Smet
Works:
http://www.fondationlecorbusier.fr/corbuweb/morpheus.aspx?sysId=25&sysLanguage=fr-fr&itemPos=1&sysParentId=25&clearQuery=1
Book production played an important role in his oeuvre.
Published around 35 books of which he 'not only authored but illustrated and laid out, going so far as to choose their format and paper'. - Authorship
Turned his back on his native Switzerland - a haven for modern graphic design - in favour of France where he moved in 1910
Used numerous publishers so he always had an output
p. 12 - Has a relationship with the publisher- forces his views on typography to justify his preference
Cover design for reprints
p.17 - Antimodernism
Respected classical values and aesthetic
Warned the publisher: 'Take note, classical layout, no modernism please.'
Critiqued Bauhaus for using lower case and silly typefaces
He took control of all production so it was subjective whereas Bauhaus was created to function?
Shows Le Corbusier's involvement in the production, taking on a greater role - the artist merging into designer.
A new beginning - Design, publishing as an art?
Works:
Le Poeme - One of his biggest pieces of work
The Matta-Clark Complex: Materials, Interpretation and the Designer
James Goggin
'the designer must consider the aesthetic, functional and structural aspects'
'An awareness of over interpretation needn't imply a kind of unattainable (and undesirable) objectivity, but rather a thoughtfully subjective approach, which does not involve second guessing the artist. When content and materials are interpreted and combined in a balanced way, the result can be greater than the sum of its parts. A transformation of the given matter through a kind of elegant alchemy, rather than cut-and-paste pastiche.'
1946, 1947, 1948: The Most Beautiful Swiss Books in Retrospect
Jenny Eneqvist, Roland Fruh and Corina Neuenschwander
Increasing amount of competitions rewarding beautifully designed books
p.34 - 'The competition will educate the public's taste, cultivate an interest in beautiful typography, book illustration and the like, and will certainly increase the sales of the rewarded books, which will again be seen as a motivation for publishers and printers to design their books with love.'
The artist book is pushing publishing to its limits - the book as a beautiful object.
to design books with love
Having slated the use of sans-serif, Tschichold uses it in a childrens book
wow
Ways of seeing books
Richard Hollis
Book design is standardising however the artist book is keeping it alive
p.50
Marshall Lee - 'It seems incongruous that today (...) we should yet strive to design books with conventions perfected centuries ago. (...) we must turn our eyes ahead, not backward, in designing the books of today.' Artist books are
'Once a craft, book making has become an industrial process'
The standardisation is frustrating designers - Calls for authorship and control of production/content.
A conversation with Bob Stein from The Institute for the Future of the Book
Sarah Gottlieb
Expand the boundaries of the page
p.66 - 'publishing has always been limited, a lot of people cannot afford to buy books. Access is generally uneven, especially under capitalism, and will probably remain so. But that's not a reason not to go forward. The inner quality of these platforms is not technological but social - a social structure that reflects the one we live in.'
The Institute for the Future of the Book
Bob Stein
TECHNOLOGY
Work and Network
'Unlike the printed book, the networked book is never finished: it is always a working progress.'
Stopping the printed page from giving way to screen
'Freed from the traditional print publishing cycles and hierarchies of authority, the Institute values theory and practice equally, conducting its activities as much as possible in the open and in real time.'
Working with Herbert Spencer: A Pioneer of Modern Typography
Chrissie Charlotn
Every Book Starts with an Idea: Notes for Designers
Armand Mevis
Frankfurt Bookfair: 400, 000 new titles are presented - all of them cant be good?
Anyone can publish a book? Which ons are relevant?
'Some are even done too well, books where nothing happens at all'
'As designers we are as responsible for content as anyone else'
Publishers taking control of design decisions, including dimensions, paper, binding and cover image.
Then its just up to the designer to make it look good
But the designer deserves more control? These decisions are an integral part of the design process
All books start from their content - 'The content is a source of inspiration in itself, it tells you where to go'
Juggling technical restrictions with formal skills
'Like fingerprints, they are unique'
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