Published for his first solo show as an artist at Lafayette Anticipations in Paris, this book presents, for the first time, more than 40 artworks by Belgian fashion designer Martin Margiela (born 1957). Reproducing images of installations, sculptures, collages, paintings and films, the book also advances the thesis that Martin Margiela has always been an artist. Internationally renowned in the fashion world since the late 1980s, throughout his career as a designer Margiela has deliberately upended the conventions of fashion through his materials and his runway shows.
The works at the Lafayette Anticipations exhibition, most of which were made in the Foundation’s studio, return to the artist’s obsessions. The body is very much in evidence here, from anatomies inspired by the academic tradition to hair and skin in almost abstract form.
The catalog was designed by Irma Boom in close collaboration with Margiela as a “making of” the show, presenting both final and in-progress pictures of the works.
Curator of the exhibition: Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel.
From the beginning of Boom’s practice as a book designer, making tiny models has been part of the process. In part, these serve to assess rhythm, the sequence, to find solutions with regard to form and editing. The mini format helps to oversee the content easily. Assembling these booklets herself, however, has a significant additional meaning. She says it helps ‘to contemplate into the subject’.
Irma Boom: Book Manifest runs until the 8th of May, 2022 at the Allard Pierson, Amsterdam
The topic of this CTS class is 'Manifesto.' Despite having formed my values and habits through various experiences, I found it challenging to articulate my own manifesto, especially in response to the overarching question, 'What attitude should a designer adopt in their design?' Therefore, our group's manifesto written in class has fewer general answers than fits me.
However, each individual brings diverse social and cultural backgrounds, and designers express their attitudes and beliefs uniquely through their design styles, shaped by these experiences. Thus, I aim to create my own manifesto based on our group's manifesto but tailored more closely to my personal values and design inclinations.
Before defining my manifesto, I questioned what values a manifesto could embody. Past designers didn't settle for their era's status quo; rather, they objectively observed their times and prioritized values. They crafted manifestos with specific guidelines for action.
Furthermore, manifestos evolved from written statements to symbolic imagery, spreading rapidly through exhibitions or websites, enabling mutual communication where those who embraced it could empathize and express opinions. Therefore, when creating designs infused with my values and experiences, defining my manifesto could strengthen their appeal by ensuring consistent and meaningful designs.
In reality, many designers adhere to specific methods or practice their own identity during the creation process. Dutch graphic designer Irma Boom, who has designed over 300 books, perceives books as structures. Before producing any book in its actual size, she creates a miniature version to confirm the book's structure.
She also created both a miniature version and an XXL version of 'Irma Boom: The Architecture of the Book,' which collected her designed books, seamlessly extending her working method into objets d'art. Through this, I learned that practicing a manifesto is both a process and a method of creating artwork.
Hence, the theme of my manifesto is 'Joyful Design.' Particularly in today's era sparked by network technology, it's easy to access various designs, like personal portfolios, through sites like Pinterest and Behance. Consequently, there's a tendency for a similar appearance without a distinctive style. Therefore, in my designs, I aim to convey novelty and attractiveness that I can thoroughly enjoy from within.
In practice, I implemented this into creating brochures in the studio module.
Typically, books list text by typing on a keyboard. However, merely introducing variations, such as different styles of handwriting and PVC paper, provides visual delight and communicates novelty.
Ultimately, to define my manifesto, I must first understand myself well. However, most of the time, it is hard to grasp what identity I have without thinking deeply about it. Therefore, the CTS B module provides an opportunity to reflect on myself and aids in the growth of a designer.
447 words.
Reference
Shin Ye-won. Declaration and Practice: Happy Design Manifesto ,2020
Tales From the Farm. Jeff Lemire. [Ontario] : Ashtray Press, 2006.
Knock On Any Door (A Revised History): Art and Social Engagement in Calgary, 1912-2012. Eric Moschopedis, Mis Rushton. [Calgary] : Department of Forgotten Histories, 2013.
Sheffield International Artist's Book Prize: 2015 catalogue. [Sheffield, UK] : Bank Street Arts Editions, 2015.
Drawings of David Smith's Sculpture. Wesley Mulvin. [Vancouver] : Perro Verlag, 2006.
Irma Boom: The Architecture of the Book: Books in reverse chronological order, 2013-1986, with comments here and there. Irma Boom. [Eindhoven, Netherlands] : Lecturis, 2013.
Stan Lee is Richard Petty. Secret Headquarters. [Los Angeles, CA] : SHQ, 2016.
Kai Althoff: Vancouver Art Gallery, November 8, 2008 to February 15, 2009. Kathleen S. Bartels, Jennifer M. Volland, curators. [Vancouver] : Vancouver Art Gallery, 2008.
The Apocryphal Codex of Resolutions Transmitted from Planet Coelan to Frances Zorn, August, 1947. Frances Zorn. [Mayne Island, British Columbia] : Perro Verlag, 2008
Our lovely little town's newspaper has added a new member to the paper's staff, and we're all glad to have Nicole on board! We're sure that Nicole's writing and expert reporting about our town, its history, and things going on within it will attract dozens of new readers to our home, so we've had her write a small introduction to our town for everyone!
Hemlock Hollow is a small town of roughly 4,000 people, located about 30 miles east of Mount Rainier in Washington state. Our home was founded in 1911 by Frederick Wolfe, a wealthy railroad baron who saw an opportunity in the timber industry, and he funded a small fork off of the main tracks to be made here for easy access to shipping logs as well as transportation for the workers. As the logging industry in the area began drying up during and after the '50s housing boom, the town turned to apple farming and tourism based around its time as part of the rail network. Today, our tourism board is working with developers, state transportation officials, and others to regain the rail network and build a hotel in an effort to revitalize the town. Exciting news!
Some notable locations are Hemlock High, the public school in town, and home to the Hemlock Hawks. The other is St. Bernadette's Hallowed Academy, a religious private school. For the urban explorers and historians, there is also an old sawmill outside of town where logs were processed, as well as the old mansion of the first mayor's house on the river. One of my favorite places in town is our adorable little museum dedicated to the town's history (especially its early days as part of the rail network and logging industry)! For our residents in need of extra care, we also have an assisted living facility that is home to about 70 patients, and I've been told the staff is very kind. They host weekly Bridge Nights from 7-9 on Saturdays, and admission is free for all to join! We also have many shops and buildings like Irma's Needlework, The Divine Diner, Grant Foods, and the public library. Of course, there are also the apple orchards on the south side of town, owned and well-maintained by the Wolfe family for the last 3 generations.
That's about it for now, so we hope our readers enjoyed this little insight into our town. We're sure Nicole will do a great job with more about this cozy place we call home!