Mike Lenhart

If Your Picture Were in the Dictionary

2009-08-13T14:17:29Z

Remember looking through old encyclopedias or other reference books at the pictures and drawings that were contained? There were so many wonderful images to look at - and they were all very inspiring for young artists. Chronicle Books has come... This work features more than 1,500 images that origianlly were in the pages of 19th-century Webster's dictionaries. The book itself is a clunky weight of a book and looks like it would appear on the shelf of an 1800s library. The author, John M. Carrera, found a tattered 1898 Webster's International Dictionary in his grandmother's stone farmhouse and was amazed by the contents. There was a stunning array of odd and wonderful animals and machines printed by categories. Carrera found that the original engravings still existed and had been given to Yale. Carrera is a printer, bookbinder, and artist that was then secured permission to meticulously clean and restore the engravings. The result is a treat.

Pictorial Webster's is a record of all the wonderful natural discoveries and innovations of the time of the Industrial Revolution. It's great to see what children of two or three generations ago were looking at and what type of world existed.

As an exclusive offer, Chronicle Books is giving away one fine press edition (edition C of 26 lettered A-Z/value $4,500!). Any person or institution around the country is eligible to enter (except Chronicle employees). Chronicle launched the give away at the American Library Association Conference a few weeks ago and will announce the winners in mid-Nov.

Here is a link to enter (you should enter) and for more info:

http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,gifts/products_id,8162/

]]>

Chwast - What More Can You Say?

2009-07-22T13:33:12Z

There's a book that came out by Chronicle this summer called Seymour - The Obsessive Images of Seymour Chwast. It's about time, I must say. Many, if not all of us, know the icon that is Seymour Chwast and have... Also known for his great work as co-founder of Push Pin Studios, Chwast's work is known around the world. From illustrations in The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, to commissions for some of the largest corporations like IBM, General Foods, and Chrysler, Seymour is one of the greatest icons in the graphic design world. Yours truly even had the chance to meet him and get an autographed poster of his work. Yay!

Always with a sense of humor, the images and illustrations in this book are classic Chwast. There may be a thing or two in this publication that you might even learn about this man's talents. His takes on "Body Parts" to "Classic Cars" to "Around the World" will transmit the user to another time and feeling - smiling all the way.

Seymour is a must have for anyone in the graphic design profession or for anyone who loves great work from a great artist. The book also contains numerous work from his personal collection, like paintings and sculpture. An Introduction to the book is made by Stephen Heller and includes and Essay by Paul Scher. Classic!

]]>

Pop Culture Like You've Never Seen

2009-07-22T13:22:30Z

This writer receives a LOT of books to read and review. Recently, I got a book that I am so happy about. Chronicle Books has done it again with a wonderful pictorial book by Isabel Samaras, the celebrated artist of... Anyone who grew up in front of a TV in the '60s and '70s will really appreciate this book. Samaras takes popular icons of the day, like Batman and Robin, and adds a sense of the contemporary. Taking liberties from some of the Masters, Samaras adds her own blend of saucy erotica and quirky humor. You MUST see her take on Samantha and Jeannie!

Isabel takes TV sitcoms, such as Gilligan's Island and the Munsters, and paints a picture of what REALLY may have been going on. It's fun, light, and good for a giggle or two. One current note is her painting of Michael Jackson, titled "King of Freaks", which displays what kind of tattoos Michael may have had on his body. Bawdy! And, her take on PeeWee Herman is a hoot!

In sum, I love On Tender Hooks! Isabel Samaras rocks and is quite a talented artist, by the way. This book is a must have for those of us who know the beloved shows of back then and those of us who may want to revisit them in the way we really thought it may have been. OTH is a book to get!

]]>

Why Are We So Obsessive?

2009-06-17T16:30:19Z

As designers, we all know how obsessive we can be. How do we get our ideas and where do they come from? How does what we design shape the world and mark a place for us in the history of... Martin Bone and Kara Johnson, both of IDEO, have put together this work which shares their favorite objects and asks readers to get involved. For example, what will archaeologists 500 years from now say about our culture, our products, and our design?

These "experiments" are broken down into 3 sections: Aisthetika (senses); Punk Manufacturing; and Love and Fetish. They're all great sections and will give the reader pause and maybe bring about some reflection on what we do now.

I Miss My Pencil provokes new ways of thinking about the objects that make up and define our lives. Whether a pencil, a knife, a bottle or a cork, this book reminds us that each of these designs have a story. It's a great read for the intellectual in all of us.

]]>

A Different Way to Tweet

2009-06-17T16:10:40Z

We all know how to tweet these days, right? Well, let's not forgot the origin of such an act - that of birds. Chronicle Books has recently published Birds, with pictures by Jeffrey Fisher and words by Christine Fisher. This... This book is a pure and beautiful look at many, if not all, of our feathered friends. From the Great Spotted Woodpecker to the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo, there are great illustrations and explanations on all of them. Birds talks about the fowls' habitats, eating habits, and actions. The art is fantastic and the information is quick and digestible.

Even if you're not a birder, this compilation will have even the most non-watcher pulling out their binoculars to take a look.

Birds has many, many, well, birds, contained therein. I think this would be a great addition to a coffee table collection or as a nice gift to a young person.

The publication came out in May 2009.

]]>

Tagging as an Artform

2009-04-24T15:50:09Z

Here is another review of a book from Chronicle Books that has to do with the "art" of tagging - or graffiti. For all of us who live in an urban area, or have ever visited one, we see this... Subway Art - 25th Anniversary Edition is a large-format book that shows, in vivid detail, the graffiti movement in NYC in the '70s and '80s. Photographers Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfont captured the early days of street art done by kids who invented it. There are over 150 full-color photographs in this book. Although focued on subway art, the graffiti movement on the streets of urban American has been adapted and refined since those early days. There's even a YouTube author interview that you can see here.

As a book about the art only, it's a good coffee table book. As a glorification of what basically amounts to the vandalism of public works, it causes me some concern. Don't get me wrong, I think there are some beautiful pieces on alleyway walls, but, can't this sort of thing be part of commissioned pieces and not simply vandalism? I feel it would give these talented artists some sort of direction and future in this realm.

Other than my rant on this sort of thing, Subway Art has some really beautiful images contained in it. If, like me, you can let go of the notion of urban blight, you'll really like this book.

]]>

S'more Books to Read

2009-04-07T17:13:19Z

Here is an enstallment on some other books that were recently sent to me by Chronicle Books. I've been getting a lot of design and some architecture books that have been really interesting. It's just good that there are such... The first book I'd like to mention is from Laurence King Publishing and is called Sketchbooks: The Hidden Art of Designers, Illustrators & Creatives.

This book looks at the intimate sketchbooks that many of us carry around and use to put down our thoughts and ideas. Sketchbook looks at many different artists' books and is accompanied by interviews with the artists themselves. They talk about how they use their books and how what goes on around them influences what they do. There're some beautiful doodles and sketches in the book - much better than I could do after working at it for a long time. It's a good look and read.

Next, there's the book called Copywriting - Successful Writing for Design, Advertising and Marketing. This book does more than simply explain what good copy consists of and what to do about it, it also contains case studies exampling good and bad copy. Mark Shaw, the author, really explains things well in the book and can really help us write much better. This book is also put out by Laurence King.

Lastly, there's the little book called Micro - Very Small Buildings. This book is all about space - the space we need, but not that we can have. With the limited space happening all around us, Micro details small, and sometimes portable, shelters and structures that meet the need for creative architecture. Written by Ruth Slavid, an architectural writer and editor, she provides insight on the structures and what caused them to be. Another great and informational read.

Chronicle and Laurence King put out some great literature. The design of the books themselves look good on any bookshelf or coffee table. I believe there's something here for everyone.

]]>

A Flock of Design Books for Spring

2009-04-04T16:34:15Z

Well, Chronicle Books has done it again. They recently sent me a slew of design books - and all of them, well, almost all of them, are pretty interesting. I thought I'd choose 3 of them for now and write... The first one is the AIGA 365 Year in Design 29. In case you didn't know, the AIGA puts out this book annually, showcasing some of what they consider is the year's best in design. The items contained in the book are culled from 2 of the prestigious design competitions that the AIGA has each year - the 365 Annual Design Competition and the AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers. Categories of the best entries include information design, package design, brand and identity systems, and typographic design. There are also the winning 50 books and covers in this publication.

What do I think? Well, it's usually an inspiring book and has a lot of great images and ideas in it. I just get sort of bored with the same old winners and their work that continually gets showcased in ALL of these design annuals. Bitter? Me? I don't know, I'm just getting old. OK, it is a good book.

The next one to talk about is Essentials of Visual Communication, by Bo Bergstrom, and put out by Laurence King. This book is really good. It covers how to get to great visual communication in your work. From storytelling to strategy and influences, this book explains how the process works and how to do this in practice. It also covers the basics, such as images and typography, but the depth is the real item here. I think students in the higher levels would really benefit from this book.

And the other one this time, also put out by Chronicle, is called Youngs Guns Six and the Undiscovered Letter - really 2 books in one. The two-volume set includes some really great imagery chosen from the Art Directors Club through one of their annual design competitions. It's hard to explain here everything it contains, but it's a definite look-see.
The other part of the set is all about the "27th" letter of the alphabet. The artists in this book are so very clever, and funny, and have great imaginations on what this letter is all about. Chronicle does it again with very effective packaging. This book is good to have around the office or in your backpack for some light bus or train reading.

Some more good books out there. Add these to your collection if they appeal to you - or don't - you'll see them around anyway.

]]>

A Call Out To Package Designers

2009-03-21T16:03:57Z

We all buy products. And, we all have different amounts of stuff to carry when we buy these products. It seems there are so many different brands of the same thing out there. How do we differentiate and how do...

Sometimes there is so much packaging around the product, that there is more in packaging that the product itself. There seems to be a lot of plastic covering out there. One thing I can't stand is when there is a box of cookies, for example, and each of the four servings in that box have an individual, additional package, complete with plastic to open - and then throw away. What's up with a plastic tube in a box? Just give me the plastic tube. Better yet, give me a tube made out of something biodegradable that won't fill the landfill and never go away. And, I hate pizza boxes. Thank God we've made headway in getting rid of styrofoam.

OK, package designers, you have a challenge. Start pitching to your art directors and clients the idea that less is more and there can be attractive and effective packaging for their product that doesn't incorporate a lot of extra crap. Pitch the eco-friendly angle. Include this in the advertising. Use corn and soy-based materials. I have been to environmental functions where everything, from the glasses and plates to the silverware and food containers, are all recyclable and biodegradable.

Let's get back to basics and cut out the excess that we have developed and come to expect in society. We've all made a mess out of this world and it's up to us to fix it. We can start by not buying products with a lot of extraneous packaging, or buy products that have packaging that we can use again for other purposes. We don't all need to be so greedy when it comes to products and consumerism. Help me on this path and think about what you design and consume.

]]>

Naughty, Naughty

2009-03-02T21:03:19Z

We all like to be a little naughty at times, whether we admit it or not. Naughty thoughts go through our minds many, many times a day - men have them a little bit more often. Anyway, STEP magazine's Jan/Feb 2009...]]> London's UKType.com set up a call for entries for designers to "mix sexual innuendo with typography." The brief for this states that the entrant is supposed to design a card either for a typeface or letter of the alphabet - of course in the vein of that innuendo. There are a few other restrictions for entry that you can find on the Tart Card section of the site.

If you want to enter, the deadline is April 10, 2009. If you don't, and just want to peruse the entries as they come in, go to the site as well.

There will be an auction of these cards sometime in the future with proceeds benefitting the St. Bride Library in London. According to the site, St. Brides is "one of the world’s most important resources for the graphics industry." STEP says that St. Brides is a printing and graphic arts library. Sounds absolutely wonderful.

Just in time for Spring and all of the randy things that can happen, Tart Cards are the way to go. Oh, boy, I feel a scandal coming.

The CM Report

2009-02-22T17:48:06Z

Once again, San Francisco was the host of the greenest design conference in the West, Compostmodern. Held at the lovely Herbst Theater on Saturday, February 21, CM played to over 500 designers and other industry professionals from many disciplines. Thank... Compostmodern is all about the way we use the gifts of the Earth that we're given, and how we spit them out again. Are there ways to intelligently use these gifts we're given, design solutions that use this intelligence, and recycle, reuse, and/or educate the audiences to do the same? As Joel Makower, the MC for the day said, "Energy is in Abundance, not Energy in Scarcity." He also philosophized that we, the world, has 5,000 days to figure this whole waste and use out - until it's too late and all over for us. Overall, Makower was a pretty dry speaker and MC, but he said some interesting stuff. They needed a more animated and effervescent host. I'm just sayin'.

Eames Demetrios came out as the first speaker. The grandson of Charles Eames, Demetrios showed us one of the film versions of "Powers of 10". Quite an astounding commentary on the immense of scale of the universe and the importance of designing in scale these days. His thought on sustainability is that we need to "harvest enough to sustain us." That's all - we don't have to be all consumeristic and have the buy-buy-buy attitude that so many have.

Allan Chochinov of core77 spoke at the conference as well. He talked about serendipity and the convergence of all things in the related universe and gave us some ideas on how to design with this in mind. Chochinov outlined his "Denting an Impossible Design Problem in 10 Sustainable Ways." These ways included to acknowledge the priviledge of working as a designer and with the client, don't be afraid to use the word "consequence" with the client on the impact of their project, and question authority. Nothing is always as those in power say it is.
Chochinov used an example of the problem of the design of the prosthetic arm to bring his 10 ways to life for us. Quite an astounding example.

Other speakers included John Bielenberg, Dawn Danby, and Nathan Shedroff.

The AIGA put on quite a show. There was a large room of vendors including, Stacy's Books, a local favorite, Academy of Art University, New Leaf Paper, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

I wish the business and corporate world would sit-in on a conference such as Compostmodern. They may just learn a thing or two on how to think in new ways about such things as their packaging and products and how, through intelligent design, their ROI and revenues can still increase in significant ways. They may just capture a new market or two in the process.

Compostmodern is one of those cutting-edge conferences that couldn't come about at a better time. There are so many ways to design and produce in sustainable ways. We need to adjust our old ways of thinking and begin to think in intelligent ways to achieve effective design solutions in our last 5,000 days. That's only about 13 years, folks.

Remember, if you couldn't be there, the entire thing will be on the Web for about 45 days. Just go to compostmodern.org to get all the information.]]>

The Perfect Book For Your Valentine

2009-02-09T15:18:55Z

Yes, another book from Chronicle Books was sent to me. This one is beautiful and is a great book to get for the holiday of love - Valentine's Day. The book is called, This is for You, by Rob...]]> This is for You contains 100 and more "whimsical, inspiring, and imaginative" papercut illustrations and poems. Each page could be used as card in itself, even those of loneliness and woe. These images are cut from a single sheet of paper from the artist who is finally receiving accolades and wide distribution in the US.

Ryan's papercuts have been used in Vogue, through collaborating with designer Paul Smith, and also have been featured on numerous book covers. Ryan also has a blog that talks about and shows more of his work.

The pages of this book look like woodcut valentines and can be used as inspiration for other woodcut artists and those of us who just need some creative diversion.

This is for You is a great addition to anyone's book collection and each page is a conversation piece. Get it.

Eighty Years of Wonderment

2009-02-07T18:10:21Z

I recently received yet another book from Chronicle Books again on photography. This one, called Manuel Alvarez Bravo - Photopoetry, is another one of those beautiful art books that only Chronicle can produce. If you're not familiar with Bravo, then... Photopoetry contains more than 300 tri-tone images that Bravo has captured over his eighty-year career. The book includes "landscapes, urban and rural scenes, nudes, still-lifes, and religious and venacular subjects." Contributors to the book are Carlos Fuentes, John Banville, and Jean-Claude Lemagny.

The combination of Bravo's life as dedicated artist and social chronicler is evident in the publication. From his wonderful landscapes to images of the "common people" of Mexico and beyond, Bravo honed his craft like not too others have.

Photopoetry contains images of the likes of Frida Kalo and Diego Rivero, with whom he was personal friends. A world-famous photo of Kalo is contained in this book.

Manuel Alvarez Bravo - Photopoetry is another book from Chronicle that will appeal to art and photography afficionados alike. A great book.

]]>

No Global Warming in this Book

2009-02-06T20:40:21Z

Recently, I was sent another book by Chronicle Books that is all about Antarctica. We all know the trouble that's been facing this continent. But, with this book, the wonder and beauty of this region will live forever. The book... The Antarctic is photographed by Stuart Klipper with contributing authors Guy Guthridge, William Fox, and Steve Pyne. Klipper traveled to the continent six times over twenty years to create this work of art. Many of the trips were conducted through the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Artists and Writers Program.

The book refers to Klipper as "a participant-observer" who has captured images that affect those who see them in different ways, and, hopefully, their unique reactions to the world.

There are more than 100 "plates" in the book and each one is astounding. The photographer says that there is almost always a "straight line going across my frame" that captures the blurred line between horizon and and sky.

Antarctic is truly an amazing piece of work. Any of us who desires to see this part of the world and preserve its beauty should add this book to their collection.

]]>

The Premier Green Design Event

2009-02-04T20:12:14Z

Well, it's here again. San Francisco is soon hosting one of the preeminent eco-design conferences in the nation - Compostmodern. Compostmodern 09 is being hosted by the AIGA SF as well as the AIGA Center for Sustainable Design. What a... This green design conference will be on Saturday, February 21 from 8:30am-5:00pm at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. Since it's inception about 6 years ago, Compostmodern was held every other year, but, due to the immense popularity and timeliness of the conent, it is now held annually.

Taken from the Website, "...this interdisciplinary conference explores the range of design thinking necessary to create a socially and ecologically responsible society. Designers, manufacturers and business leaders come together to find inspiration, share knowledge and explore real world opportunities for transforming products, industries and lives."

Speakers include Eames Demetrios of Eames Office, Saul Griffith of Makani Power, California College of the Arts (CCA) Design MBA Chair Nathan Shedroff, Allan Chochinov of Core 77, climate strategist Michel Gelobter, John Bielenberg and Pam Dorr of Project M and the HERO Housing Resource in Alabama, Emily Pilloton of Project H Design, and Autodesk Sustainable Design Program Manager Dawn Danby. GreenBiz editor and sustainability author Joel Makower will reprise his role as emcee.

For the first time, the event will also be webcast live and will be available for 90 days following, encouraging online participation at home, office, and educational institutions everywhere. There will even be an exclusive pre-conference tour of the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.

Can't make it? Rest assured, yours truly will cover the event and will provide a write-up about it in a future entry.

]]>