R. Klanten

A new generation of talent is currently developing its own interdisciplinary and refreshingly off-key visual vocabulary. Lemon Poppy Seed is a compilation of work by young, international artists whose styles defy current trends and classifications and are all the more brilliant for doing so. The book is the perfect source for those who want to see the organic development of new artistic terrain before the mainstream attempts to erect shopping centres upon it.

Design in the 21st Century has liberated itself from industrial conditions and the associated physical demands. With new technology, expanded choice of materials and the practice of luxurious craftsmanship, designers are embracing design with scintillating attitude, challenging aesthetic boundaries and speculating new expressions in visual codes. «Desire» documents current developments in furniture and object design today, showcasing recent work by the most exciting and influential designers from around the globe categorised into four distinct trends and groups: Modernists, Taletellers, Inventors and Entertainers. Featured designers include: 5.5 Designers, Ron Arad, Autoban, Maarten Baas, BarberOsgerby, Joost van Bleiswijk, BLESS, Jörg Boner, Bram Boo, Tord Boontje, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Stephen Burks, Fernando & Humberto Campana, Committee, Christophe Delcourt, Stefan Diez, Tom Dixon, DRIFT, Kiki van Eijk, Olafur Eliasson, Thomas Feichtner, Folkform, FRONT, Martino Gamper, Konstantin Grcic, Anna Ter Haar, Ineke Hans, Jaime Hayon, Studio Job, Hella Jongerius, Max Lamb, Kwangho Lee, Mathieu Lehanneur, Leif.designpark, Doshi Levien, Studio Libertiny, Julia Lohmann, Malin Lundmark, Peter Marigold, Haldane Martin, Jason Miller, Jasper Morrison, Nendo, Ernesto Neto, Marc Newson, Patrick Norguet, o-d-a, od-v, Robert Stadler, Steven Holl Architects, Studio Makkink & Bey, STUDIOILSE, Tjep., Ünal & Böler Studio, Patricia Urquiola, Marcel Wanders, Hannes Wettstein, Dirk Winkel, WOK Media, Michael Young, Oskar Zieta and many more.

Graphic designers have always developed and designed new fonts for application in individual projects. Playful Type discovers a new and young generation of designers who are applying typography beyond the classical typeset and creating a dynamic range of playful and illustrative fonts and ephemeral lettering. Playful Type examines how designers today are creating typography with the aid of a multitude of different techniques. From manual lettering, calligraphy and collage to manipulative time exposure of photographs, designers are developing fonts for the moment which are irregular and often accidental. Blocks of ice are even being staged as real characters and paper cut forms and shadows metamorphose into letters and spatial installations. This book shows such cutting-edge examples of elusive scripts that are being translated into serially employable alphabets to be used digitally with the computer. Playful Type presents an inspiring collection of illustrative fonts and hand-made typography created from a variety of cutting-edge approaches and indicates current development in font design.

A new breed of contemporary artists is celebrating newfound international recognition for their style and approach to creating art that is sprouting from and largely influenced by visual subcultures. These young artists, many of whom are associated with the widespread movements of Lowbrow Art and Neo-Surrealism, share similarities with the popular art movements of the 1960s and 70s as well as urban art. The term Lowbrow may sound self-deprecating; rather it represents a distinctive artistic composition and technical approach in which art is produced. The Upset documents this movement and the artists associated with it. Feeding off an array of popular subcultures, they often draw influences from anime, comic books, graffiti and street art as well as character design. The often figurative and narrative artworks featured here employ classical techniques with great skills to create sculpture, illustration, design and painting with the use of spray cans, sharpies and elaborate colour palettes on canvas. With the evolution of new media, artists are also blending these elements with various disciplines in contemporary visual art. Many of the artists in The Upset enjoy international fame and are represented in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide. The book also introduces a selection of promising talent who are breaking new ground, making it the perfect source book for those interested in fine art and discovering young artists. Featured artists: Maike Abetz / Oliver Drescher, Alexone, Grant Barnhart, Gary Baseman, Tilo Baumgartel, Tim Biskup, Mark Bradford, Daniele Buetti, Cailan Burns, Ray Caesar, Miguel Calderon, John Casey, Paul Chatem, The Clayton Brothers, Joe Coleman, John Currin, Brendan Danielsson, Stephan Doitschinoff, Blaise Drummond, Dzine, Ala Ebtekar, Martin Eder, David Ellis, Ron English, Faile, Christian Farner, Rosemarie Fiore, FriendsWithYou, Camille Rose Garcia, Os Gemeos, Michael Genovese, Charles Glaubitz, Benjamin Güdel, Robert Hardgrave, Maya Hayuk, Ryan Heshka, Femke Hiemstra, Cody Hudson, Gisela Insuaste, Rich Jacobs, John John Jesse, Colin Johnson, Mel Kadel, David Kassan, Aya Kato, David Kinsey, Henning Kles, Kozyndan, Susanne Kuehn, Mia Mäkila, Mateo, Elizabeth McGrath, Casey McKee, Jason McLean, Philip Metten, Moki, Brendan Monroe, Heiko Müller, Muntean/Rosenblum, Yoshimoto Nara, Aaron Nather, Anne Faith Nicholls, Jose Parla, Nigel Peake, Raymond Pettibon, Danielle de Picciotto, Anthony Pontius, Pooch, Johan Potma, Jeremy Pruitt, Leopold Rabus, Scott Radke, Rex Ray, Scott Rench, Daniel Richter, Rostarr, Christoph Ruckhaberle, Mark Ryden, Christoph Schmidberger, David Schnell, Sebastian Schrader, Michael Sieben, Michael Slack, Jeff Soto, Fred Stonehouse, David Stoupakis, Swoon, Johannes Tiepelmann, Chris Uphues, Miss Van, Vania | Ivan Zouravliov, Matthias Weischer, Martin Wittfooth and Chet Zar.

»Los Logos 4» is the latest addition to Gestalten‘s line of books on contemporary logo design. This compendium provides an authoritative overview of current developments and advances in logo design, one of the most prestigious of creative disciplines which represent the essential visual identity of brands, companies and their philosophies. At 568 pages, «Los Logos 4» is the largest volume to date, showcasing a collection of contemporary logo design by bourgeoning design talent and once again offering an essential resource for all designers. This state-of-the-art visual encyclopaedia provides a quality selection of over 5,000 examples of stylistic approaches by designers from around the globe. Fully indexed and structured thematically, the book draws connections between the applications and the fields for which they were intended. «Los Logos 4» is the perfect companion to the Logos series and an unparalleled publication on contemporary logo design. The series has proved to be a precursor to styles and trends in logo design and highlighted the increased relevance and importance of the logo in the 21st Century.

Russian-born Vania Zouravliov’s surreally haunting illustrations capture a mixture of innocence, brutality, beauty and decay. Inspired by a diverse range of influences, Vania draws inspiration from sources as seemingly opposite as Russian romantic folklore, Japanese illustration and pop culture. His resulting drawings are elaborately composed and demonstrate the technical brilliance of an old master. In artworks that often depict beautiful women involved in macabre or erotic scenes, Vania’s intense emotional style evokes a nostalgia rooted in the artist’s Russian background and attributed to the imagery of Russian silent and art house movies. His dark motifs are intricately layered and full of powerful symbolism, often with sadomasochistic references, that are both provocative and sensitive and which represent the vulnerable relationship between innocence and affliction. As the first monograph on the artist’s work, this publication presents the expansive scope of an exceptional talent. As a prodigy in his homeland, Vania has exhibited internationally since the age of thirteen, and has continued to produce a vast range of work for both commercial clients and as an independent artist.

Strike a Pose documents a new extroverted architectural language. Manifested in spectacular structures, eccentric forms and vivid colours, this expressive approach goes way beyond conventional stylistic and geographic boundaries. Strike a Pose leads the reader around the globe to iconographically charged scenes and futuristic spaces, with examples of architectural playfulness and experimental wanderlust ranging from private residences to schools and operas, museums and interior design. Conceived and edited by Lukas Feireiss, the editor of Spacecraft, this publication inspires beyond the traditional borders of genre, further indicating architecture’s pop appeal and its contagious and entertaining effect.

Black Magic, White Noise presents an unsettling and fascinating collection of visuals focusing on the physical and the psychological as interpreted by contemporary designers from around the globe. From dark images of mystery and horror to works in which the irrational infiltrates broad daylight, the book draws its readers into an ambivalent world of chillingly beautiful illustration, photography, graphic design, collage, painting and installation. Not for the fainthearted, Black Magic, White Noise is a potent cocktail of the drastic themes and motifs that are being used and finding widespread acceptance in present-day design and other creative disciplines.

Furnish presents furniture and rooms that are redefining our current understanding of furnishings and interior design. The book documents and puts into context recent work by designers, artists and architects who are creating and using furniture in pioneering ways. The experimental objects and spaces documented in Furnish are not only a sure indicator of the trends that will be influencing interiors for the next few years, but they also serve as innovative examples of interdisciplinary design work that are inspiring for anyone working creatively.

Since we published Illusive, our first collection of contemporary illustration from around the world, the demand for work in this medium has continued to grow – and with it its range of application and forms of expression. This positive development is confirmed by the exciting work of international illustrators that we have seen since its publication, and it was thus a logical step to present the best of these new works in Illusive 2. The book features an impressive variety of illustration styles and new design approaches that have become more differentiated and complex in comparison to the spontaneous-looking scribbles of years past.

Kelvin investigates today’s evolving perception and application of colour. Structured into chapters that each focus on a single colour, the book documents some of the effects of the deliberate use of colour in recent top quality design work. Alongside images of clear and distinctive colour allocation, Kelvin also includes more intricate and playful examples that illustrate contemporary colour combinations. This ensures that the reader is introduced to the subject of colour in an instructive as well as an associative and experimental way.

NeoGeo documents the new flirtation with geometrical forms and solid colours in today’s design. The examples in the book make it clear that this current trend to abstract work is not a nostalgic phenomenon; rather, it borrows from illustration, collage, typography and computer art to create a whole new visual language. If one can identify any trend in today’s diverse design, it would be the new flirtation with geometrical forms and solid colours. The book that documents this development is accordingly called NeoGeo. Basic forms such as circles, squares and triangles are being increasingly used in creative work. One sees crystalline structures, diamonds, rhombi, patterns and grid-like frames. Elements influenced by the psychedelic and OpArt of the 1960s and 70s are being combined with the acid colours of the late 80s. NeoGeo makes clear that this current abstract work is not a nostalgic phenomenon; rather, it borrows from illustration, collage, typography and computer art to create a whole new visual language.

In 2004, we published Sonic, our bestseller that presented visuals for music. Along with the continuing proliferation and success of MP3s and the iPod over the last three years, engaging cover and packaging design have become even more important reasons for listeners to buy music in its traditional forms. Supersonic results from and investigates these recent developments. Supersonic presents over 320 striking pages of today’s best-designed music products with a focus on Independent and Alternative Rock as well as Electronica. In addition to abundant visuals, the book contains an informative foreword and features portraits of selected designers and companies, who are creating outstanding work in these musical fields. The diverse examples are structured into chapters with introductory texts that put each new subject into context for the reader. With its stunning images from today’s most exciting music, Supersonic is a source of inspiration for all music insiders and the graphic artists creating music packaging and visual identities for bands. Because design for music is a field where experimental work thrives and new trends develop that go on to influence other fields, this book is also a veritable “must-have” for a general audience of creatives as well as concertgoers and gift givers.

New developments occur when boundaries are crossed. Today, the most progressive designers are working at the intersection of various creative disciplines. They are challenging existing design principles and defining them anew. Many designers from different areas are choosing to no longer work exclusively in two dimensions and are instead dealing intensively with space, material and physical products. The book Hidden Track investigated this development in 2005 and portrayed it in its breadth for the first time. Now, Tactile shows how graphic design is moving into three-dimensional objects and products and presents graphic design that works with space – or the perception of space. The book focuses less on murals than on products, objects, installations and collage that demonstrate how designers are developing and implementing their ideas spatially from the very outset of a given project. Tactile proves that spatial innovation in graphic design is not limited to personal work or artistic endeavours for exhibition, but is being sought out more and more often by commercial clients, for example in store design. With its insight into this experimental field of graphic design, Tactile targets young, progressive designers as well as professionals from the fields of advertising, architecture and interior design. Because its topical content is compiled in a way that highlights the interesting multi-disciplinary interactions between the various works, Tactile also offers inspiration for creatives in fashion, lifestyle and art.

All Allure expands on the classical world of erotic motifs and displays a contemporary approach on erotic visual culture by presenting works from graphic design, fashion illustration, photography and performance art. The captivating works collected in this book are the best indication of the trend of eroticism outside the mainstream. The sexy, romantic, seductive, provocative, sensual and sometimes naïve charm of these images is surprising, fresh and original.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.