Max, Moritz and cubes under the sun

Today, after yet more weeks without posting, I bring you a four-in-one post. Sixth Form started with a bang, and things have been manic recently but I wanted to slip this post in before September ends. Tomorrow I'm off to Swindon, and to the STEAM exhibition for the third year running, to show off some JOHN Collection catalogues (below) and have a good time. That is, if we exclude the two-hour train journey each way.

Below you can see the four pieces of print design in question:

And to shed a little light on what I've been up to recently (other than going to school, listening to too much Vampire Weekend and wishing I had more time to sleep), I'm going to show you round these four items of print design, if you care to join me.

The JOHN Collection 3 Everyone knows the JOHN Collection, right? And most of them know my third catalogue, released in June this year. The second catalogue and a preview of the third were well received at STEAM last year, so I thought to show off this completed one, I'd get them professionally printed from Lulu.com. Though the interior pages are matte (which subtly annoys me), the rest of the printing is perfect and the cover is so shiny I almost don't want to leave it for all the little kids to finger. At least I'll please Pete Reid, who complained about my string binding last year. Here's a sample from the pages inside:

Yeah, awesome, right? Now they're arranged into page spreads you can appreciate the bars at the top and bottom that line up, and it looks much more professional. So, if you're heading to STEAM tomorrow, come check these out and introduce yourself.

Max und Moritz Book Cover This small orange book, also printed by Lulu but perfect-bound instead of stapled (and how lovely the spine looks, too), was a small piece of design I did for my ever-patient friend Peter. The book is a full translation of a lengthy German children's poem, accompanied by some German children's songs and enough prefaces (or Vorworts) to keep you entertained for hours. Wit aside, I was originally obsessed with this professionally printed realisation of my design - I just love having it there to hold in your hand - but the real genius of this book is its contents. The German Jamboree club at my school (coloquialised 'gerjam') has put an awful lot of work into this book and it's brilliant, I doubt any other school has produced something so concise and so ambitious. It's going on sale at the school's open day tomorrow and I hope it sells well; it's definitely worth it.

A snapshot of the inside of the book - I had originally wanted to do the inside page design too, but Peter has done it perfectly himself and I'm happy I ended up not doing it. The illustrations here are from the original poem, and I adapted one for the front cover design. The book is over 100 pages long.

Maths Extension Classes advertising This week I've been hard at work in the evenings. No, not doing homework - but I fitted that in, miraculously - but completing a whole set of posters for various school maths clubs and societies in preparation for Open Day tomorrow. My favourite of the designs is that for the Year 13 Mathematics Extension Classes. The name's a mouthful, and I can't say the classes sound like much fun, but I struck upon a cube idea for the poster:

And decided to apply the muted colours to a real-life cube (a little bit of 'Resort' slipping in there). The advertising cube, though totally useless, is very pretty and I made one to sit on my shelf. The colours are really faded in comparison to the poster above, so the grey is white and the red more like a baby pink, but it's understated and bold, and I like it. I used Futura bold on the poster and cube, and in a way I feel like I've betrayed the font's hipsterness by using it for a maths poster, but at least it will turn some heads.

'Resort' booklet Finally, I can show this to the world (or rather, the dozen people who read this blog). After a brief fuck-up from my developers Bonusprint, and several weeks elapsing, I got the second roll of 'Resort' photos back and put them all into a booklet that no one other than myself understands. I'm going to send it off to some blogs or galleries in hope that someone else will understand what I'm trying to say, but first the booklet needs to be reprinted; this one is a mess.

Check this post for all the info about 'Resort', but I'll quote the arty-farty summary that I put in the front of the booklet:

'Resort' is a 7-piece photographic project. It explores the point at which man and his environment meet, and where man's urges to repress and perfect abuses the very elements he creates with.

Or, in layman's terms, the photoset is about people stressing and forcing and breaking natural elements when they try to make stuff (eg. a holiday resort). The cubes and other shapes represent these 'perfect' forms that people force the natural elements into. The irony of this project being completed in a holiday resort - other than that people are striving for a perfect environment for relaxation while the elements are stressed - the natural elements are the focus of the place! The resort is about enjoying the geography and landscape of the area, yet restricts it by being built there! Oh the delicious irony!

There is a brief blurb about me in the back. Because I have to have some credit, guys!

Anyway, there's my two cents. Or rather, four. I hope this pleases you and keeps you happy until I next have a chance to blog. October is soon arriving, and looks set to be a busy month (if September was anything to go by) - including my birthday and a half term when I'm off to Denmark to sample universities. Hoorah.

Have a good October y'all,
~ John