⮫ WORK,  ➽ DRAWING,  ➫ PRINTS, ⮞ INFO,  ➺ ALL_GOOD_THINGS


Exhibition Identities
2023 
Fonts: Bradford, Akzidenz-Grotesk Buch, Acumin Variable Concept
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, InDesign

Internship projects at the Center for Book Arts (CBA).

The Center for Book Arts is a non-profit organization that hosts exhibitions, workshops and artists-in-residence. They also maintain an extensive collection of artists’ books. The organization underwent a rebrand in 2021 by Studio-Set, giving the historic brand a contemporary look reflective of the continued relevance of printmaking and book arts.

Visual Volumes: Contemporary Explorations in Book Arts

Visual Volumes: Contemporary Explorations in Book Arts showcased the work of six artists-in-residence at the Center for Book Arts, whose work discussed themes such as ephemerality, the digital divide, repetition and identity—all centered around a shared interest in bookmaking.

My responsibility was to create a hero image and brochure for the exhibition.

I started off thinking about the title, especially the use of the word Volumes. The work in the show spanned photography, installation and video—these artists were thinking beyond the book as a volume for information, they were re-constructing it. 

Building on the idea of re-construction, I pulled swipe from Ikea instructions, book-making diagrams, and architectural blueprints. The dotted lines and gridded information were a natural extension of CBA’s existing identity. 

Inspiration
Image from Construction 53, altered colors
Illustration by Paul O’Connor
Diagram from Digital Print Bureau


Hero ImageThis graphic, to be primarily used on the website to announce the exhibition, reworks an image originally published by the Digital Print Bureau. 

The graphic evokes the title of the exhibition: literally a visual break-down of a book or “volume”. The diagram is dynamic, reminiscent of a bird in flight, and reflective of the liveliness of the artist’s interpretations on this traditional medium. The movement implied by the arrows suggests flipping through pages or re-ordering instructions.

The title is set in an outline of Acumin Variable Concept. The fonts modern look is a seamless extension of CBA’s fonts, and it’s variability and readability enable it to be used for multiple applications throughout the brochure. 





BrochureThe monochrome color treatment echoes a blueprint, building on the gridded quality of the identity’s primary graphics. Printed in-house on CBA’s risograph machine, the production of the brochure parallels the ink treatment and color limitations of the tools the exhibiting artists engaged with during their residency. 




Kumi Korf: A World of Her Own


Kumi Korf: A World of Her Own is a retrospective showcasing over 25 works from the artist’s decades-long career, including 14 artists’ books alongside prints, assemblages, and costumes. The work draws from Korf’s personal memory, architecture, and nature, exploring innovative approaches to storytelling. 

The exhibition’s visual identity reflected the colorful compositions, delicate strokes and carefully constructed components of Kumi Korf’s body of work. 
Inspiration
 
Hero ImageThe hero image draws its vibrant, warm color palette and organic line work from Kumi Korf’s pieces. Instead of a original graphic representing the show, I chose to put Kumi’s gestural treatment of shapes at the center of this exhibitions identity, appearing in both the hero image as a tracing from her work Silk and Secrecy, and in smaller ornamental details in the brochure.






BrochureThe brochure creates a playful balance between Korf’s visual and structural sensibility and CBA’s identity.

While sketching early iterations of this brochure, I considered how the reader’s interaction with the brochure could mimic their experience with the work itself. Through translucent fabrics, pages, and origami folds, Korf’s work is constantly reconsidering the literal and figurative angles from which a story can be told.

With a relatively short list of Selected Works, I was left with an extra page to play with the title sequence, integrating the cut-out shape from the hero image into a landscape composition. (below, left panel)

ImpactThese brochures are an exhibition keepsake, a reflection of the Center for Book Arts dedication to documentation, and an equivalent to a business card for the institution that spreads awareness of the studio’s mission and resources. 
 




Instagram graphics 



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