Die Gestalten Verlag

A fresh wave of intellectually rigorous, iconoclastic Swiss designers are carving their niche in a new graphic language. Altitude showcases this current generation of flourishing contemporary designers, who combine traditional high-quality Swiss Style with advanced media and novel design approaches to give rise to a progressive style of visual expression. The collected work provides insight into the impact, essence and diversity of Swiss graphic design in recent years and evaluates its significant evolution.

BLK/MRKT Gallery was created as a way to present emerging talent as well as compelling urban and fine art. BLK/MRKT ONE presents the gallery’s artists and their work, including both up-and-coming and established urban and contemporary artists such as Deanne Cheuk, WK Interact, Dave Kinsey, Bask, Evan Hecox, Marion Lane and many more. This book is a “who’s who” of the scene and is characterised by the rich variety of styles and visual idioms, its celebration of rising masters and the promise of discovery.

young generation of designers, illustrators and artists are taking nature as a starting point and bestowing upon it great importance. Into the Nature takes you on a visual exploration through nature and how it’s perceived, portrayed and visualized in the contemporary visual arts of the twenty-first century. It presents an evolutionary vision of nature from Romanticism to Art Brut; flora and fauna are reinvented through ravishing imagery ranging from classical and analogue approaches to cutting edge graphic design, illustration, photography and 3D installations.

Tokyo-based duo Zoren Gold & Minori’s contemporary approach to surreal photography has led them to combine photography, illustration, collage and graphic design, blurring the line between fiction and reality and resulting in a formula that delights the senses. Object that Dreams is a scintillating collection of their stark, moody and untouchably glamorous fantasy worlds inhabited by tantalizing sirens and temptresses. inhabited by tantalizing sirens and temptresses.

Football (or Soccer as it is called in the US) is unquestionably THE most popular and celebrated sport worldwide. Children start kicking the ball around the streets and playgrounds at a young age, most of them dreaming of becoming charismatic football stars. Every four years, the globe goes football crazy over the most exclusive of competitions, the World Championships (World Cup), which this year, 2006, is being hosted by Germany. Companies support the game with millions on advertising campaigns using the very stars of the sport, but there is another side to traditional football advertising. Enthusiasm and celebration of the sport are visually and unofficially expressed at street level in cities the world over and like music, football culture is a theme of major influence for many young designers. Play Loud! presents the graphic street art as well as football inspired illustrations, posters and flyers from around the world. Each country has its own way of showing its passion for the game. It is an eclectic visual compilation taking you on a fantastically colourful journey through the world. With stunning visuals, Play Loud! also appeals to a general audience and all those interested in the sport. Goooaaaal!

Fifty-five young, international artists have “remastered” celebrated works from “Guernica” by Pablo Picaso and “Gabrielle d’Estree and Her Sister” by Ecole de Fontainbleau to “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt. The transformations by Kenzo Minami, Vincent Skeltis, Mika Machida, Antoine et Manuel, etc., result in a collection of reinterpretations infused with expressive imagery and insightful wit in a wide variety of styles. While the artist interviews and texts by the curator provide depth into the history and context of the juxtaposed works, the artworks reveal cutting-edge techniques and applications defining contemporary visual culture. In this book, a new generation of artists and designers defining today’s visual deconstruct iconic masterpieces by pre-eminent masters from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance through to the 20th century and re-contextualize them to contemporary culture. “We have been so extensively exposed to these images that we automatically assign them the mythical status of masterpieces, but rarely look to understand what makes them so unique” says Curator Sebastien Agneessens. Agneesens has commissioned fifty-five international visual artists to “remaster” celebrated works from “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso and “Gabrielle d’Estree and her Sister” by Ecole de Fontainbleau to “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt. The transformations by renowned contemporary artists and designers include Kenzo Minami, Vincent Skeltis, Mika Machida, Antoine et Manuel, Insect and more. The result is a collection of reinterpretations infused with energy, expressive imagery, insightful wit and socio-political commentary in a wide variety of styles. Each contemporary image is juxtaposed alongside the original masterpiece on a double-page spread, with comments from both the artists and the curator, lending depth and insight to the interpretations giving readers the opportunity to reencounter the classics.

Creating a range of designs with a recognizable and continual element is a standard requirement well observed by many designers. Serial design can be seen everywhere from magazine covers to posters, letterheads, brochures and CDs to advertising. They need to be recognizable but yet have a fresh appeal every time — this book examines how designers approach the topic and looks at the applications and solutions they use to create a series of designs. Creating a family face is crucial in order to leave a lasting impression. This is done by enforcing familiarity and producing a general recognizable atmosphere. Serialize features a broad range of applications, techniques and signature solutions employed by designers in serializing a design. It also expounds on the function and role of serialized design. Through abundant examples, images and explanatory text by the designers themselves, this book investigates the key elements and links that distinguish serial designs from one another. This book provides guidelines to and examples of how to solve one of the most ubiquitous design “problems”.

Logo design is one of the most crucial and challenging tasks in graphic design. Seemingly simple, The Logo becomes the indispensable face of companies and conveys the identity and philosophy of brands. Los Logos and Dos Logos documented this unceasing evolution. Expanding on the previous editions, Tres Logos demonstrates how influences from illustration and street art have become increasingly evident in logo design inspiring ornamental patterns with logos replacing the abstract tag. Additionally, companies are becoming more daring and exploiting their logos to identify their brand with a certain style and appeal. Fully indexed and structured thematically, the book draws connections between the applications and the field for which it was intended. Like its predecessors, Tres Logos explores the exceptional visual language and stylistic approaches to logo creation by designers around the globe, exhibiting thousands of examples and simultaneously providing information about the “makers’” personal approach. Tres Logos is a state of the art visual encyclopedia on the current state and evolution of Logo Design.

Dot Dot Dash! is brought to you by the editors of Pictoplasma and Pictoplasma 2. Expanding on the widely popular subject of contemporary character design, this definitive volume showcases an up-to-date survey of the personalities and characters that have entered the third dimension. Vinyl figures, plush dolls, designer toys and action figures can be seen as a new movement in contemporary design, art and popular culture. Interest for these three dimensional toys have surged, drawing on pop culture, graffiti and visual art. The new generation characters appear cute, cuddly and innocuous at first but are often elicit, subversive and politically incorrect. Not intended for child’s play, they are highly esteemed by teens and adults alike. Each is a work of art often created by world famous artists and many of them are produced independently in limited editions and become highly sought after collectibles. A recent trend of character applications aspiring from inherent crossovers of the character and art worlds, is also taking form in sculptures and objects, creating a new art market where artists are progressively moving beyond the boundaries of the gallery and extending their work to a largely disparate audience. This voluptuous volume exhibits the expansive scope of designs and objects in the ultimate compilation of contemporary character design. Jim Crawford the co-founder of Strange Co, one of the largest distributor of designer toys has contributed to the making of this book.

Sam Borkson and Arturo Sandoval may be based in Miami but the strange worlds they create are way out there in another dimension. Their modest mission is to spread an intelligent look at the world with a vision of magical whimsical childlike magic, and to spread truths and myths to the world while bringing true art back into the lives of everybody who experiences their work in all its forms. When not otherwise occupied in creating their ‘Malfis’ – a bizarre take on the cuddly toy concept – they are to be found making videos, interactive installations, paintings and animation films for the likes of Nikelab, Sony, Volkswagen and MTV. This book presents the full scope of their projects and a wide range of scribbles, designs, artworks, characters and kids toys which have been created, for their first museum exhibition at the MOCA Miami, Florida during Art Basel Miami Beach. Fusing art, design, illustration and toy making, Friends With You are a leading example of a multi-disciplinary studio combining classical disciplines with sensational success. They are masters not only of character creation but beyond the characters themselves and into the worlds that they inhabit. Their universes are so elaborately designed that they entrance adults and children alike.

The design studio Mutabor is primarily known for its succinct logos and icons that have also been presented in dgv bestsellers Lingua Grafica and Lingua Universalis. Mutabor is Latin and literally means «I'm Going to Change»; this broader collection of commercial work is so titled to reflect the company's adaptability and range as well as its name. I'm Going to Change is a rich volume of over 300 pages that presents 99 Mutabor projects. The diverse examples include the design of packaging for Adidas and L'Oreal, print media for Greenpeace and Bulthaup as well as opulent automobile tradeshow stands and showrooms for Audi. The book contains not only finished projects, but as yet unpublished drafts, sketches and studies that served as inspiration for Mutabor's creative process. The compelling images and insightful texts in I'm Going to Change reveal the approach and style of an internationally renowned design company. This insider's view makes the book interesting for all designers, but especially those just beginning their careers.

Fifty, published in celebration of its president and founder Renzo Rosso’s 50th birthday, is a book that displays the unique Diesel creativity, attitude, lifestyle and philosophy reflected in its collections, its business approach and its communication. The book features international guest authors as well as face to face interviews with prestigious personalities such as the Dalai Lama, Terry Jones and Alexander McQueen to name a few, making it an inspiring portrait of one of the most inventive and successful companies in the fashion industry the world over. It is a real “heavyweight” with rich graphic visuals from Diesel’s award winning advertising campaigns and an enclosed DVD – a true collectors’ object.

Illustration is undergoing a renaissance today. Photography shaped visual culture for decades, but now illustration is reasserting itself with a vengeance expanding in formats and styles. Illusive records, accompanies and comments on the present illustration boom and presents a collection of contemporary illustration from around the world, addressing the variety of existing techniques and putting them into context with explanatory text. It features personal designs alongside fashion illustration and commercial work – a diversity that reveals how the medium of illustration functions independently from trends.

Neubau Welt is an extensive encyclopaedia of well over a thousand pictograms of everyday objects and obsessions large and small. Created by Stefan Gandl and his Neubau team, all of the objects shown in the book can also be found as editable and highly detailed Macromedia Freehand and Adobe Illlustrator files on an included CD-ROM. This also makes them extremely useful for architects and other creatives who can integrate them into their presentations and visual models. For the price of the book, readers also buy the rights to exclusive graphics and three Neubau typefaces.

Since its inception MTV has played an eminent role in defining the visual culture of several generations on a global scale. By continually challenging young, not-yet-known artists, animators and filmmakers to create images for its worldwide network of stations, MTV also functions as a catalyst for the creative expression of our time. This comprehensive book documents both the best in recent MTV designs and campaigns from around the world and the station's visionary influence on the design of the future. On Air is the definitive collection of the broad range of visual art created for MTV including clips, program trailers and it's own brand advertising. It includes _classic and contemporary work done for stations in Asia, Europe and the Americas that was previously unseen outside of the local market for which it was created, plus groundbreaking visuals that have yet to air. In order to include moving images, the book is accompanied by a 70-min. DVD containing a vast selection of unparalleled motion graphics, on-air designs and clips from MTV stations around the globe. This authoritative volume presents a broad range of projects with information on the artists, briefings and releases. In addition to cutting edge images, it contains exclusive interviews with Brent Hansen (President of Creative & Editor in Chief, MTV Networks International), Cristián Jofré (Senior Vice President of Creative) and other creative masterminds at MTV, along with texts by the Creative Directors from the local MTV stations worldwide. They provide insight into the creative development within the separate regions and markets that all have their own flavours and touches but always maintain their core identity, as well as how they have evolved from 'music television' into a global multimedia empire. The combination of its rich graphic visuals and innovative design with texts written by international guest authors including the acclaimed English writer Mark Tungate, make On Air an inspiring portrait of one of the most inventive and successful companies the world over. The scope, quality and exclusivity of the shown work make the book a must-have for a wide range of creatives and professionals alike.

Dos Logos, the follow-up to worldwide bestseller Los Logos, is an update on the current state of logo design. It not only presents extensive examples from around the globe, but also charts new developments in this field. In order to offer even more value to conscientious designers, the book classifies the included work according to the industry or purpose for which it was designed and contains more unusual applications including those used on building facades, on clothing and as illuminated advertising.

This book follows up on the success of dgv’s bestseller Lingua Grafica, which has established itself as a leading tool for guiding international designers in their everyday work. The expectations of fans of its predecessor will not be disappointed – Imperium Imaginum also features a structured portfolio of the latest logos and icons done by the Mutabor design studio. Imperium Imaginum explains the process behind logo creation from the perspective of the award-winning creative team. Mutabor breaks down the development of various logos into a series of steps. This visual presentation shows designers examples of how they can approach complex and abstract subjects in logo design. With Imperium Imaginum, another book has been created which will serve designers worldwide as both a source of inspiration and a practical reference work.

Wonderland is a compilation of the very latest inspiring and surprising graphic design, illustration, photography and fine art from around the world. Focusing on dreams, the imagination, the surreal and the divine, it builds on themes introduced in our wel-received title Romantik. While Romantik revolves around longing, Wonderland depicts dramatic occurrences and experiences. The fantastical work featured in the book is presented as a visual essay of captivating intensity. The Diesel Dreams promotional DVD was included in the first edition release of Wonderland. Thirty different of the best filmmakers were called on to produce a two-minute short film based on imagery from Diesel’s Fall/Winter 2004 communication campaign. The Diesel Dreams promotional DVD was included in the first edition release of the book Wonderland, a visual essay focusing on dreams, the imagination, the surreal and divine.

This Gun Is for Hire is a guidebook that provides insight into the ongoing challenge of translating personal design approaches into viable — and paid — commercial projects. The book illustrates how designers and clients can work together to develop projects that are both commercially successful and push creative limits. Not only is This Gun Is for Hire full of examples of recent corporate, graphic and product design projects that truly inspired their creators, their clients and their clients' customers, but it also presents them in such a way that others can learn from them. The diverse projects from international designers such as Eikes Grafischer Hort, Fons Hickmann, Attik, Chocolate Skateboard and Hansen Ho are depicted with impressive visuals and are accompanied by text explaining the original briefing and the circumstances leading up to either their implementation or a lost pitch. The book is rounded out by a series of interviews with and essays by working designers on issues including corporate communications, inspiration, and creative development clarifying how the design process and client relations are interrelated.

Romantik presents classical romantic elements in outstanding examples of contemporary illustration, photography and graphic design. While making a clear reference to nineteenth century Romanticism, the book defines a current version of the term through its selections and presentation. The book features examples, which expand the forms of visual expression available in our computer-dominated world and which develop style elements that exist beyond the canon of forms used in the 1990s. In place of uncluttered surfaces and clean lines, colorful collages and ornaments are used to generate a feeling of warmth, closeness or commitment. Because the computer is firmly established as a creative tool, today's «Romantik» is pragmatic rather than dogmatic. At the same time, the book challenges the role of the computer in the design process, appealing to the romantic in all of us.

Bringing together more than 3000 works by over 200 designers from around the globe, Los Logos is the ultimate collection of contemporary logo design. It features an incredible wealth of cutting-edge design solutions over 444 pages – from abstract to concrete, from image based to text only work. And its reader-oriented structure allows ample opportunity for research and inspiration. Logos have become the face of brands, companies and record labels. They are indispensable “little helpers” in creating a positive image, to trigger the memory, aid identification and install trust. Often deceptively simple, the task of a logo is never an easy one – via extreme reduction it has to radically and perfectly distil an image or message into a simple, easily recognisable icon. Bringing together more than 3000 works by over 200 designers from around the globe, Los Logos spreads an incredible wealth of cutting edge design solutions over 444 pages, providing the ultimate collection of contemporary logo design – no easy task! Well-indexed, subject-catalogued and systematically structured this popular bestseller has become the perfect research tool for any self-respecting designer or cultural enthusiast.

Having created logos and icons for clients such as adidas and Greenpeace, Hamburg-based design studio Mutabor assembled their best work in Lingua Grafica. A documented, dissected and contextualised collection, the book is a skillful manual of logo design.