Visual Culture

Every year CPNB (Col­lec­tive­ Pro­mo­tion Dutch Lit­er­a­ture) organ­izes Dutch Book Week with the aim of pro­moting Dutch ­lit­er­a­ture, and every year a spe­cific genre is pro­filed. This year: Autobiography. The official theme is ‘Geschreven­Portret­ten’, or in other words, ‘Writ­ten Por­traits’.

Ad agency Van Wanten Etcetera commissioned Souverein to fashion a number of sculptural book ‘portraits’ which bare the likeness of each of the esteemed autobiographers. Included among them are Anne Frank, Vincent Van Gogh, Louis Van Gall and Kader Abdolah.

Have you been wondering what Marian Bantjes has been up to in the last year? Look no further. She has posted a preview of a project that was conceived, written, designed and illustrated over the last 15 months. The sneak peak is quite impressive showcasing the visual range of her intricate patterns and complex typography. Word is it will be available in stores towards the end of September and is surprisingly only $40.00 retail and $26.40 pre-order at Amazon.com.

Jules Verne cover designs by Jim Tierney from Jim Tierney on Vimeo.

Illustration student Jim Tierney developed an inspiring series of book cover designs for his senior thesis project at the University of the Arts. Peak below for (more…)

We recently received a copy of the 2010 Think Green Calendar by EIGA, a design firm out of Germany. The calendar shows contemporary “Eco-typography” and special “green works” of designers from various disciplines worldwide. “Think Green!” creates a stimulating visual inventory of the fusion of ecology and design. For more on the Think Green Calendar you know what to do.

Image by David Oberholtzer:

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Designer, Igor Udushlivy thought up an of how a book jacket and bookmark could work together to create a unified image. We dig it! See his concepts below:

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During the 1970s and 80s, photographers Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant captured the burgeoning New York City graffiti movement.

After twenty five years and more than a half a million copies later, Chronicle Books is happy to offer their book Subway Art in a large-scale, deluxe format. (more…)

Image from SwissLegacy:

Released by Lars Müller Publishers and designed by Norm; Corporate Diversity: Swiss Graphic Design and Advertising by Geigy, 1940 – 1970 showcases the work of the in-house design studio at J.R. Geigy AG. With its clean, minimal approach to design Geigy’s work helped spread what came to be known as the International Typographic Style. Karl Gerstner, Jörg Hamburger, Stef Geissbühler, Toshihiro Katayama and Armin Hofmann are just a few notables who worked there.

via SwissLegacy:

Designers Against Tibetan Abuse is the first project by Designers Against Human Rights Abuse. Founded by ambitious designer Rishi Sodha in the summer of 2008, DAHRA exists to promote and raise awareness among individuals in the creative fields of their social, political and ethical responsibilities.

52 creatives from around the world all contributed pieces focusing on different aspects of Tibetan Rights forming this inspiring book, available for £20 delivered worldwide. All proceeds go to the Tibet Relief Fund.

Check-out CR Blog for a detailed write-up and interview with Rishi Sodha. (more…)

Here are selected pieces of a book designed by Toshiyasu Nanbu, an esteemed graphic designer from Japan.

We stumbled upon this book of excel drawings and were intrigued. Why would someone draw in Excel, an application that is not geared towards drawing? Well, Danielle Aubert shows you Excel’s potential as a drawing tool. This book is worth checking out.