ARTIFACT Exhibition
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ARTIFACT: An Exhibition Exploring Book Design and Process in Art Publications. Showed at VOID Gallery in Saskatoon throughout the month of February 2016.
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Design Process Promotion
Poster Video
ARTIFACT Exhibition Text p. 1/4
I see the role of an exhibition catalogue as bridging the gap between the viewer and the artwork. As a designer, I help the audience understand or develop insights into the artist’s work. Every aspect in the design of the catalogue – shape, size, material, typography, page layout, colour, image use and binding – is an extension of concepts inherent in the show itself. The catalogue therefore takes on a role beyond archival documentation of text and imagery.
ARTIFACT Exhibition Text p. 2/4
The creation of a physical object is the key concern within my book design process. I consider how a book functions within a 3D space – how it opens, how it lives in that space and how a person interacts with it. Interactivity and engagement with the book is almost demanded; the books I design are not passive. Rather, active participation by the viewer is encouraged. Materials also play an important role within my design thinking. Using materials that relate more closely in people’s minds to the world of objects than the world of books changes the status of the book, moving it to an artifact.
ARTIFACT Exhibition Text p. 3/4
I design a book to function in relation to the exhibition. The net result of my design is the changing (or broadening) of how a user engages with a book so that they are interacting with it in a way reflective of the show. I am designing the user’s experience of the book in relation to the art, or to the works on the wall.
ARTIFACT Exhibition Text p. 4/4
In an age of digital communications and our daily interactions with screens, I hold the belief that we all have an inherent love for carefully crafted objects. There is no substitute for a tactile experience that translates into a take-away memento. My artifacts are created to uniquely match the artist’s work, giving each book a fitness for its intended purpose. In the book (or in the artifact) the audience receives a concrete reminder of their gallery visit.
