LA
Sure, I love The New York Times Style Magazine. But there’s some uber work going down on the US west coast too. Check out these gems from the Los Angeles Times Magazine.
Above: What happens in Vegas… ends up on the cover of LA
These layouts were originally posted by Laurie Kratochvil (she’s a previous Director of Photography at InStyle and Rolling Stone magazines) over on SPD (my new favourite website for super glossy American editorial design). The Las Vegas photo essay is by Albert Watson.
It’s all good. Yaay!
PETER BELANGER
Above: Cover Creation by Peter Belanger
Peter Belanger is a product and editorial photographer based in San Francisco. He shot the September 2009 cover of Macworld magazine and recorded the process using time lapse photography.
In his own words, “After working on the latest cover for Macworld I wanted to show what is involved in making a cover. I focused on the three main areas: the photography, photoshop and design. I chose a time lapse format to convey lots of information in a small amount of time… Lots of details were left out of the design process (like the cover meetings and rounds of layout options). I began to photograph the design process after the layouts had already been narrowed down to just three cover designs.”
Very cool. Check out Peter’s blog here.
Gabriel Gianordoli
Above: Editorial design by Gabriel Gianordoli
Lovely. More by Gabriel here.
STYLE
Above: The New York Times Style Magazine, Winter 2008
Lush. That’s all.
BRANDON KAVULLA
Above: New-look US Men’s Health
Loving these layouts from the redesigned US Men’s Health. Check out the rationale over on SPD by Creative Director Brandon Kavulla.
Wonder if it’s on sale here in the UK.
NOMA BAR
Super excited about this latest Q&A. In-demand London-based illustrator Noma Bar found time to answer some of my long-winded questions. Joy.
Above: Tom Ford by Noma Bar
I’ve been doing some snooping, er, I mean research. Creative Review has described you as “one of this century’s most exciting caricaturists.” The New Yorker, too, has praised your work, stating: “Noma executes complex ideas with a stunning – and deceptive – simplicity.” Cool praise. Reading feedback like that must make you feel pretty good?
Illustrators don’t know what the viewer/reader thinks about their work (unless it’s online), so recognition definitely motivates me.
Do you share this same appreciation for your illustrations? How do you feel when you look back at your body of work?
I’m quite harsh with myself. I’m after maximum communication with minimum elements and I’m very happy when things are coming together in a very natural and effortless way. Those are the most memorable works.
Your work has appeared in numerous magazines, including Wallpaper, Esquire, and The Economist. Personally, you’re second book – Negative Space – was published last month. It’s one thing to see your work on a magazine cover, I imagine, and quite another to have a whole book devoted to it. In an interview with Wallpaper, you described Negative Space as your greatest achievement thus far. How much of your time is spent on client work and how much on personal projects? And what’s the thinking/idea behind the book?
Negative Space is a collection of more than six years work, most of the works were commissioned by various publications, so the result is a mix of published & personal works. It’s hard to say exactly how much time I spent on my personal or commission work. Negative Space took many days, nights and weekends… mad days!
Above: Spock by Noma Bar
Who wrote the book’s foreword? And what did he/she say?
The foreword for Negative Space was written by Buzz Poole at MBP [an independent book publisher] and this is what he says:
“…An artist using “negative space” relies on the space that surrounds the subject to provide shape and meaning. Of course, the term also refers to any topic that conjures feelings of unease and discomfort. Furthering the partnership begun with the publication of Guess Who?, internationally acclaimed illustrator Noma Bar has compiled his newest collection of work, Negative Space. Including works commissioned by such prestigious publications as The Economist, Esquire, Wallpaper, The Guardian and Time Out London, as well as never before seen illustrations, in this book Bar focuses on subject matter ranging from sex, global warming and nuclear warfare to religion, crime and corporate greed.
With Negative Space, Noma Bar solidifies his reputation as an artist able to convert complex topics into clean, provocative and revealing lines that viewers take in with ease, though they are not easily forgotten...”
Most of your commercial work is UK-based. Is it a priority for you to work with international clients too? Do you have a dream client you haven’t worked with but would like to?
I work and live in London so that’s why most of my work is here. I also work in Germany, Netherlands, USA, Japan, Australia, Dubai and so on. It’s not my priority to work with international clients, but it just happens thanks to the internet and to the fact that my work can communicate internationally.
Guess Who?, my first book, sells in over than 30 countries and there was no need to translate it for the local languages.
You’re based in London, but originally from Israel. I interviewed Kasino A4 magazine’s art director Pekka Toivonen earlier this year for Michael Bojkowski’s blog Linefeed. Pekka mentioned how Kasino A4 is very much a product of its environment (Finland). How true is this sentiment to your work? How has being born and educated in Israel influenced your work?
I think improvising is the main thing I took with me from Israel.
Israel is a very young country, a cultural melting pot, and unlike the structured life of the Orthodox Jews, I grew up in a non-religious part of society where people were totally open to new experiences on many levels. I learned that when things are missing, you invent them.
For instance, my sister became a headmaster at a primary school that was in a rough area in Israel. She thought that introducing opera as part of the educational program would help the children learn better and interact with the community in a positive way. She couldn’t get a sponsorship for this, but she never gave up on the idea. She recruited some volunteers and asked the kids to stay after school to practice, and now it has been ten years that she has been running this opera program, to great acclaim.
Another example is Pesah Gutkevich, who, upon retirement, turned his tractor garage into an art studio and has been creating art out of tractor wheels, chains, and car parts. The town is now saturated with his art. But this is the first time that I saw a creative use of the ready made; and if look at my entire work you will see that each work is based on readymade icons.
The Guardian newspaper’s creative director Mark Porter (and a team of art directors) were asked by Varoom magazine recently to choose an illustrator or illustration that defines the decade; they chose you. It’s quite an accolade… but what happens come 1 January 2010? What does the next decade hold for you?
While I was busy defining this decade I couldn’t take a proper holiday, so I’m going to book a long holiday on the first of January. And when I’m back I’ll do my best to define the next decade…
Thanks for your time, Noma. Star! I’m a fan.
More about Noma here. Buy Negative Space here.
FANTASTIC MAN
Above: Fantastic Man Eau de Cologne
MOON
Above: Sam Rockwell in Moon
I received an email from Joel Blair the other day letting me know about his recent interview with David Frost, the designer of the Moon movie poster. Yay! It’s uber. You ought to check it out. And, while you’re at it, why not check out the Moon poster designs not chosen. BTW, David Frost is a designer with film design studio All City Media. It’s all good.
KISS & MAKE UP
It’s that time again. I’ve saved the date in my iCal. Yay!
More here: Kiss & Make Up
DSM
Above: Monocle at Dover Street Market
I have a confession to make. Now, don’t tell anyone. But I’ve never been to Dover Street Market. Oh, the shame. Next payday, I’m so there. Gotta check out the new Monocle concession… looks coolio (and handy for the loo, too).
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