Bruno Munari / Libri illeggibili
Bruno Munari, Libro illeggibile bianco e rosso | Illegible book white and red, 1953.
Bruno Munari, Libro illeggibile
I really like the concept of a book you can't read - the whole point of a book is to inform or entertain and Munari completely flips it on head by having a book seemingly without traditional content. The publications are just filled with blank coloured pages, with varying cut-outs - leaving the viewer intrigued as to why. I personally like the red and white colour scheme, as I find the combination captures my attention and the patterns created by the pages are aesthetically pleasing.
Sources:
https://www.design-is-fine.org/post/65077918218/bruno-munari-libro-illeggibile-bianco-e-rosso
https://www.corraini.com/en/catalogo/scheda_libro/35/Libro-illeggibile
Tim Mosely / Artistic Books
ep's, 2018
I like the indentations in the paper - Mosely's work makes me consider that there are other ways other than drawing to create an illustration.
Touching Rainforest, 2013
With a Kiss
The Book of Tears, 2014
Tears the See, 2014
Textured by Sight, 2014
Given, 2008
Mosely uses lots of different textures, colours and materials in his work. They are mainly very abstract in nature, showing how publications don't necessarily have to have a narrative and can be enjoyed at face value - I find these books very satisfying to look at.
Ben Vautier / Total Art Matchbox from Flux Year Box 2
Ben Vautier: Total Art Matchbox from Flux Year Box 2. c.1968. (Fluxus Editions)
This is a very creative take on the term book - the publication is on an object: a box of matches. Vautier has created a contradiction; the aim of these matches is to 'destroy all art' but it has become a piece of art in itself.
Maria Pina Bentivenga / Souvenir
This publication seems very worn in style as if it's been carried around in a pocket or a bag - it looks like the illustrations are observational drawings done on location. This suits the theme of the book: souvenir.
Source: http://www.mariapinabentivenga.com/en/works/souvenir/
Alice Bowsher / Curious
Bowsher's illustrative style is very simple but very effective. Her book has no colour just black linework, something I am considering doing within my own publication so it doesn't seem cluttered and overcrowded. The hand-drawn letters also give the book a more personal touch.
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Alice Bowsher / Nature in Colour
I love the interactive nature of these books - the paper fold-outs are an ingenious way to really make the illustrations pop off the page. Bowsher's thick black lines and minimal use of colour (obviously for a good reason in this case as it is a colouring book!) form a distinctive, clean style, one that I personally really like.
Hato Press / Abcdefruit & Vegetables
This book invites interaction; it is a way of involving children in actions that are educational. It is a clever idea that enables learning through documentation and creation, using fruit and vegetables as stamps to complete the alphabet. The hand printing technique gives a unique nature to each book - no two prints will be the same!
Unit Editions / Projekt
I was intrigued that they chose to print on black paper, showing you don't have to always start with a white base. In particular, I was considering printing black ink onto black paper, creating an uncomfortable reading environment, so it was helpful to see how it would look! At a glance, the page looks blank, but the ink has a certain shine to it and I quite like this effect.
Source: https://bench.li/images/14782
Monica Oppen / A Speck of Dust
Again, I am interested in works that utilise a dark base opposed to traditional white paper. Oppen has taken things a step further by using another material altogether - I love the rough and ready feel to this publication. The hand stitching and random paint marks makes it seem a bit slapdash but this is obviously her style choice - I am considering making my publication look like it's a bit worn and rundown as well.
Source: http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/news-archive/8codex/57.htm
Monica Oppen / Botanikos
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I like how Oppen has made the cover out of wood - again another creative use of material. The format of her book is how I envisage my own, with text placed on the left-hand page of the and the illustration on the right. While the text is important, I feel the eye tends to fall on the right-hand page first, so that is why I'll place the illustration there.
Source: https://www.mayspace.com.au/ex-enlarge/small-publishers/botanikos
Emily Rand / In The Garden
I love Rand's illustrative style; the mix of linework and mediums create a refreshing, engaging aesthetic. However, what interests me most about this publication is the shape - I like how the pages aren't the classic rectangle shape. They are cut out and shaped like trees of different sizes, creating overlaps so you can see the pages behind, giving the sense of depth - it looks like a populous forest.
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Tauba Auerbach / RGB Colorspace Atlas
I can't get over how aesthetically pleasing to look at this book is! I find colour gradients fairly soothing on the eye and the crisp, square edges of the publication give it a very professional finish.
Marcel Duchamp / Priere de toucher (Please touch)
Marcel Duchamp, Priere de toucher (Please touch), 1947
I like the idea that a book can be for other senses, rather than just sight. Duchamp invites the reader to touch his work, feeling the different materials it is made of so it becomes more of a sensory experience.