ZERO TO INFINITY: ARTE POVERA 1962-1972 EXHIBITION CATALOG
Zero to Infinity: Arte Povera 1962-1972 documents an exhibition of work by 14 Italian artists who used a wide range of everyday materials and objects in their creation of uncommon works of art. Walker Art Center Design Studio of Minneapolis conceived a design for this publication—created for the locally based Walker Art Center and Tate Modern—that projects rather than mimics the look of the period with a clean, direct layout and typographic treatment. The book’s design reinforces the tactile nature of the artists’ work with pages printed on coated and different-colored uncoated papers. Johnson noted, “The contrast in paper stocks creates order and interest.” The flush-trimmed covers that expose the edges of the book’s multicolored pages also add to its object-like appeal.
CLIENT Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, and Tate Modern, London DESIGN Walker Art Center Design Studio, Minneapolis: Andrew Blauvelt, principal and design director; Linda Byrne, graphic designer; Karen Jacobson, editor MATERIALS|FABRICATION sheet-fed offset lithography, sewn pages, flush-trim binding with paper-over-board covers HARDWARE|SOFTWARE Macintosh G4, QuarkXPress, Adobe Photoshop
SPECK: A CURIOUS COLLECTION OF UNCOMMON THINGS
Speck: A Curious Collection of Uncommon Things is devoted to examining and exposing the extraordinary aspects of seemingly ordinary people and objects. Designed by Peter Buchanan-Smith of New York for Princeton Architectural Press, the book’s compilation of anecdotes and trivia shows that our obsession with small objects can take precedence in our everyday lives. Its small scale provides a compact format for appreciating items from emptied pockets and pocket books, as well as other unique and intriguing ephemera.
CLIENT Princeton Architectural Press, New YorkDESIGN Peter Buchanan-Smith, New York: author and designer; Jennifer Thompson, editor
JACK COLE AND PLASTIC MAN
Paying homage to the artistry and imagination behind early sci-fi comics, Jack Cole and Plastic Man from Chronicle Books both exposes and showcases the genre with blow-ups of comic-book panels and exaggerated halftone dots. New York-based Chip Kidd used a simple presentation of covers, narratives and other images taken from Plastic Man comic books to heighten the innocence of the series and its era. McCracken liked that the book was printed on uncoated stock, noting that it’s “true to the original reproduction of the work.”
CLIENT Chronicle Books, San FranciscoDESIGN Chip Kidd Design, New York: Chip Kidd, principal/designer; Art Spiegelman, writer HARDWARE|SOFTWARE QuarkXPress
DESIGN DISTINCTION PEANUTS: THE ART OF CHARLES M. SCHULZ
Designer Chip Kidd took advantage of unlimited access to the Peanuts archives when he and New York writer Art Spiegelman collaborated on Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz for Pantheon Books. Kidd uses Schulz’s signature, handwritten notes and other evocative items from the collection to provide an intimate glimpse into the cartoonist and his world of Peanuts characters. Faded comic panels—appearing as though they were affixed to the book’s pages with cellophane tape yellowed by time—add to the book’s archival appeal and convey an impression that McCracken likened to “feeling like it’s right out of Schulz’s scrapbook.”
CLIENT Pantheon Books, New YorkDESIGN Chip Kidd Design, New York: Chip Kidd, principal/designer; Art Spiegelman, writer HARDWARE|SOFTWARE QuarkXPress
ABC DF GRAPHIC DICTIONARY OF MEXICO CITY
“Super eye candy” is how McCracken described ABC DF, designed by Mexico City-based Christina Faesler Bremer. The book is as entertaining as it is informative, thanks to a repertory of colorful images from what locals call the “Federal District,” one of the largest urban centers in the world. A simple cover sets readers up for a surprise. Although it hints at the book’s content and organization, the cover’s understated color and typography belie the abundance of exuberant imagery within.
DESIGN Christina Faesler Bremer, Mexico City: Christina Faesler Bremer, Pablo Rovalo and Jeronimo Eduardo Hagerman Ruiz Galindo, designers; Guillermo Osorno, text editor; Ximena Perez Grobet, editorial coordination
JOHN KELLY
Jurors agreed that browsing through John Kelly, a book created by Pentagram Design of New York for the 2wice Arts Foundation, gave them a strong impression of the contemporary performance artist’s career. “Even though I’ve never seen him perform, I feel like I know his work,” McCracken said. A series of photographs of Kelly assuming different guises begins with the book’s lenticular cover, progresses through its interior covers and opening spread and ends on the inside back cover. The jurors appreciated the book’s applications of fluorescent-orange ink on subheads, on translucent fly sheets and as a dramatic accent on black-and-white photos.
CLIENT 2wice Arts Foundation, New YorkDESIGNPentagram Design, New York: J. Abbott Miller, principal/designer; Roy Brooks, designer MATERIALS|FABRICATION paper: Gardamat; fonts: FF Avance, Trade GothicHARDWARE|SOFTWARE Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
CESSATION ANTI-SMOKING COMMERCIALS
“Graphic” and “intelligent” were among the words McCracken used to describe the quick-moving, streetwise approach taken by this three-part series of 30-second anti-smoking spots for the New Jersey Department of Health’s Quitcenters. The creative team of Santa Monica, Calif.-based Blind photographed successive sheets of oversized Plexiglas layered with scraps of halftone art, degraded text and an assortment of found objects to deliver an anti-smoking message that’s both sophisticated and direct. In-camera optical effects and hand-drawn animation serve to engage a youthful audience without talking down to them.
CLIENT BBDO, MinneapolisDESIGN Blind, Santa Monica, Calif.: Elizabeth Hummer, executive producer; Chris Do, creative director; Steve Pacheco, lead designer; Steve Pacheco, Tom Koh, David Kerman and Rick Spitznass, designers; Amanda Lehman, producer; Steve Pacheco, Tom Koh, David Kerman and Ehren Addis, After Effects artists; Ali Laventhol, Flame artist; Erik Buth, editor; Dan Schmit, director of photography; Steve Pacheco, Tom Koh and David Kerman, illustrators MATERIALS|FABRICATION halftone art, degraded text and found objects sandwiched between sheets of Plexiglas; hand-drawn animation; in-camera optical effects
HARDWARE|SOFTWARE Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Avid, Flame
NOT FOR TOURISTS: GUIDE TO MANHATTAN 2002
Jurors were impressed with the no-nonsense look of this Manhattan guidebook, designed by Happy Mazza Media of New York. “It’s all about function,” Johnson said of the book’s reader-friendly type and format. “The title is brilliant, and the basic black cover should blend with any native’s attire.” Color-coded maps and iconography add to the guide’s visual appeal and make points of interest easy to find. Its scant size makes it handy for slipping into a briefcase or purse.
DESIGN Happy Mazza Media LLC, New York: Jane Pirone, principal; Scot Covey and Sue Yoeh Beh, designers MATERIALS|FABRICATION 105 95 matte paper; cover: Skivertex Martera black with silver foil HARDWARE|SOFTWARE Macintosh, PC, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress, Microsoft Word, Filemaker Pro, Photo Disc
INTERFACE ENTROPY BROCHURE
To emphasize the random nature of a new modular carpet-tile design from Interface, Chicago-based VSA Partners thought it would make sense to photograph the tiles in unexpected places-as though they’d been placed there at random. Outdoorsy settings also reinforce the tiles’ mimicry of natural designs and processes. Both Johnson and McCracken felt the promotional brochure’s conceptual approach and photography were original and compelling. Moreover, its simple typography and diagrams were applauded for communicating end-user benefits in a clear, concise manner.
CLIENT Interface, Kennesaw, Ga.DESIGN VSA Partners Inc., Chicago: Jamie Koval, principal; Dan Knuckey, design director; Andrew Reeves, designer; Tom Maday, photographer HARDWARE|SOFTWARE Macintosh G3
MY VH1 MUSIC AWARDS ANIMATED SEQUENCE 2001
Statistical icons of generic, humanoid forms become living statistics in this animated sequence used to introduce the VH1 Music Awards Show. Designers at psyop of New York used artful cropping, unusual views and a high-tech look to add sophisticated yet humorous appeal to the iconographic people as they come together to celebrate. Jurors were impressed with the project’s effective use of a limited color palette and interesting illustration style, as well as its ability to engage viewers with imagery, music and movement.
CLIENT VH1, New YorkDESIGN PSYOP Inc., New York: Marie Hyon and Marco Spier, directors; Eben Mears, special-effects director; Kimmy Ng, producer; Justin Booth-Clibborn, executive producer; Steve Raymond, creative consultant/writer; Todd Mueller, creative consultant; Marko Vukovic, Pakorn Bupphavesa, Todd Akita, Kent Seki, Jason Goodman, Domel Libid, Joel Sevilla, Jeremy Butler, Daniel Selinger and Colin Barton, animators; Cliff Schwarz Music, music composition HARDWARE|SOFTWARE Macintosh, PC, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Soft Image XS, Flame
YYZ PAPER PROMOTION
Faced with the task of producing an art-gallery promotion within a tight budget, Andrew Di Rosa of Toronto-based design firm Small decided that newsprint would give the YYZ Artists’ Outlet gallery the most bang for its buck. The YYZ paper promotion includes a tear-out invitation/poster, photo and exhibition essays and gallery information. More important, its newsworthy format establishes YYZ as a cultural force in the community. Jurors were impressed with the originality of the concept. “It gets away from the standard gallery postcard,” McCracken noted. The paper is distributed in a resealable plastic bag, which not only protects the piece, but also provides a slick contrast to the rough newsprint.
CLIENT YYZ Artists’ Outlet, TorontoDESIGN Small, Toronto: Andrew Di Rosa, principal MATERIALS|FABRICATION drum scans, DVD/video grabs; goss community Web offset on newsprint; fonts: Trade Gothic and Franklin Gothic HARDWARE|SOFTWARE Macintosh G4, Macintosh Power PC, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, QuarkXPress
55 MAGAZINE
Described by creators Bookmark Publishing of São Paulo, Brazil, as a “Brazilian magazine of images, fashion, tendencies and ideas,” 55 makes an immediate impact through its unusual cover with bold typography screenprinted on a velour substrate that imitates a black cat’s fur. An explosion of energetic, sexy, dramatic four-color images follows, which Johnson described as “seductive” and “angst-driven.” Both jurors agreed that 55 engages its readers with a sensual, contemporary attitude.
CLIENT|DESIGN Bookmark Publishing, São Paulo, Brazil: Helio Rosas and Roberto Cipolla, principals; Bob Wolfenson, editor HARDWARE|SOFTWARE Macintosh G4, Macintosh iBook, Apple iMac, Apple Powerbook Titanium, Dell PC, Adobe Type Manager, Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia FreeHand, QuarkXPress
TRANS-FORM, TRANS-IT, TRANS-PORT.ORG
London-based FL@33 makes use of a wide range of photographic, design and production techniques to put its perceptions of architecture, art and design into visual form. The result is Trans-form (an annual magazine), Trans-it (a cd-rom) and Trans-port.org (a Web site) relaying the firm’s observations. Jurors were impressed with the designers’ willingness to take risks in their explorations. Johnson described their approach as “fresh and arty.”
CLIENT|DESIGN FL@33, London: Agathe Jacquillat and Tomi Vollauschek, designers HARDWARE|SOFTWARE Macintosh G4, Powerbook G3, Polaroid 5X70, Nikon FM2, Sony PC-100, Canon A1