Jobs from the past - Number 18

Regular followers of this blog will know that my first post of every month is a "job from the past" so that I can show some of the really good work from years gone by. So now all the April Foolery is over, here's the first serious post of the month...

V&A Annual Review 2001-2

This is the Annual (or bi-annual) review published by the V&A. It was an exciting time in the V&A's history as the new British galleries had just been opened in late 2001 and there was a lot of activity at the museum. Visitor numbers were up (breaking a record in 2002) and the outlook was extremely positive.

This review is 330x240mm, portrait, saddle stitched and is 4pp cover with a 28pp text. It is printed (as I recall) as a tritone - using a green, a grey and a black but with type also in a pale red (still a job using four colours).

It goes without saying that the V&A has an amazing collection of art and objects and this report makes the very best use of the subject with excellent art direction and photography.

The publication is designed by Johnson Banks. Creative director was Michael Johnson and the superb photography is by Philip Gatward. The above spreads convey some of the powerful images and space that has been created. The images work incredibly well in the tri-tone with rich, rich blacks and the muted red. The format works well with the material, the pages open nicely and it is pleasingly tactile.

The job was printed on our Neptune Unique (white) 250gsm and 135gsm. It was printed by a west London company called Fernedge (v.good in their day) who have sinced ceased trading. Pippa Redmond (Mustoe) who was MD at Fernedge, now runs the Kall Kwik franchise in Norwich! (http://www.kallkwik.co.uk/norwich/aboutus.cfm). It is exceptionally well printed and still constitues one of the best samples on Neptune Unique that I have in my collection.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/

http://www.johnsonbanks.co.uk/

http://www.philipgatward.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 05.04.2011

V&A Illustration Award Winner

The V&A Illustration Awards are held annually to highlight the best book and editorial illustration published in the UK in the previous year. Their aim is to encourage, recognise and celebrate high standards of creativity in the industry. The awards are free to enter and offer some of the most substantial financial prizes for illustration in the UK. The awards are sponsored by the Enid Linder Foundation.

This years winner, announced at the awards ceremony held at the V&A is Sarah Carr, a designer at Here Design based in London. Not only is she the 2010 Illustrated Book Award Winner but also the 2010 Overall Winner!

Now sadly this particular project isn't actually printed on our paper (so that isn't why I'm writing this post!) but I've known Sarah and have worked with her over the years. Firstly at Pearlfisher shortly after she graduated from Kingston, then at Antidote (on the 'we are what we do' project) and most recently at Here Design which is where she is now a Senior Designer.

...and here's the write up from the awards publication:
"Sarah Carr's innovative and complete use of letterpress printing to form the illustrations of How to Drink immediately caught the judges' attention. The fact that only two colours are used throughout, and the stylised look of the illustrations in addition to the quality of the paper, kept bringing them back to touch and engage with the book. It was described as a 'friendly book'.

Carr took inspiration from the work of the Dutch artist and typographer H.N. Werkman: 'I tried to create images by abstracting theletterforms. The textured quality achieved in woodblock printing gives character and warmth to the print, which helps the illustrations feel lively and animated.'

'How To Drink' is published by Granta Books, London. The author is Victoria Moore. Text design and illustration by Here Design. Printed and bound in Italy by Legoprint.

Congratulations to Sarah for winning this prestigious award and to all at Here Design.

http://www.heredesign.co.uk/
http://www.vam.ac.uk/activ_events/events/illustration_awards/index.html
http://www.granta.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 26.07.2010

Grace Kelly - Style Icon

Q: When is a leaflet, not a leaflet?
A: When it's designed and produced like this one.

I just received some file copies of the gallery guide for a Grace Kelly exhibition that's on at the V&A over the summer and it's just looks and feels great.

Ostentsively, this is a leaflet but this has been printed on Omnia 120gsm which means that rather than feeling like the vast majority of mass produced leaflets printed on a bit of 130gsm silk or gloss, this has real character and value.

Equally the design and the superbly chosen imagery, both mono and colour, really work to make this feel anything but a leaflet!

Design for the gallery guide, invitations and other collateral is by Nadine Fleischer.

Print is by Principal Colour.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/

http://www.principalcolour.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 04.06.2010