Some small zines and independent publications.

I thought it best to look at the way some independent publications have been written and such in order to kind of inform what I want to do.
Arc





There's a few really great things that I like about this book. Firstly, the strong presence of the blue that creates a coherency throughout. Secondly, the grid system of 2 columns works well in terms of readability for a document at that size. One column would have created lines that are too long and have the reader starting to drift off, whilst a three+ column grid would create a line length much too small causing the reader to jerk awkwardly through the constant line changing. Thirdly the use of full page photography and images creates a nice balance between the pages and avoids over saturating what is essentially an art book, with words. Finally, the fact that they've used a specialist font for the cover title and subsequent chapter headers is really nice and the roundness of the counters and legs in the font really suits the title of the book. Perhaps finding a high quality custom font should be something I look at doing that really promotes the idea of conspiracy/mystery/secrets/signs and symbols.


Infinite Library by Camer and Epaminonda

I chose this one because I found the graphics overlaid on the photographs really intriguing and fascinating. Their symmetry creates a really nice aesthetic quality and the ambiguity of their purpose really draws my attention into reading and discovering the contents of this book. Given that my book is about conspiracy theories, mystery and intrigue is a quality I should really aspire to developing throughout it.

Dogcrime- NoBrow publishing

I chose this one because normally I really like No Brow, they produce some really lovely art books, but I really, really hate the body copy in this book. The font size, to me, feels much to big, and the line length looks much too long. The story isn't a childrens book at all, and I feel like the type and layout is insulting in that it patronises you. This is definitely something to look out for when I'm creating my book, it can easily be avoided by proofing your work with cheap black and white print outs. A process I must follow if I'm to produce a book to a high standard.

Hootenanny Newspaper: Stephen Ball, Kim Chan, Tom Pollard and Ryan Van Kesteren

This book is produced by students that have just graduated from Lincoln (they were third years at the time) and I think it's impeccable. A document of extreme quality that shows exactly the potential that students can achieve. In the example spread I've picked, I really love the pyramid like structure of the columns on the left hand page, where it progresses from a 1 column title, to 2 columns of text followed by 4 columns of what appear to be details. It creates a really pleasing aesthetic, and the fullness of the page is balanced well by the series of photographs on the opposite side.

Fine Art Show book- Miles West

This, again uses the 2 column structure very effectively. It also creates a really strong structure of rows. Meaning that the white space between the type and the image allows both to breathe in a very minimalist setting. The use of negative space is something important to consider in my publication also. To much of really full on

No. zine- Patrick Fry

I've known about No Zine for quite a while, it was featured in Grafik - which I subscribed to before it went under- Although I do love the visuals for it and it's got a nice unique identity with its logo, the reason I actually showcased it is to highlight how a nice concept is the most significant thing about a body of work in publishing. No Zine is a collection of work each month of several artists, all of which is based on the number of which issue it is, so for example, issue 1 of no. zine is full of the work of designers about the number 1. I think this is a really lovely concept that produces a really diverse range of work and a really sell-able idea.

Jens Nilsson

I chose this because the strong presence of colour using paper stocks is really nice and the balance of the pages is really nice, essentially the layouts being a reflection of one another, creating a nice symmetry.

Condiment

I chose this for a couple of reasons also. Firstly, I like the balance between the darkness of the photograph and the vivid white of the paper stock. Secondly, the way the type is laid out in equal thirds of the page, with the header and footer text reflecting each other creates a nice symmetry which I find aesthetically pleasing, particularly when they align with the top and the bottom of the fruit stack in the photo really nicely, anchoring the words which could otherwise be lost in the white space.


Pasta- Hildebrand and Kenedy



This book is really nice because it uses only black ink on white paper but still holds the interest of the reader through interesting vectors and fascinating graphics as seen in the spread. Also the grid is quite inventive, the book appears to use a 3 column grid, but one column (presumably notes and details about the image) is half the width whilst the body copy appears to take up 2 columns. It kind of creates a balance that's aesthetically pleasing whilst feeling a little fresher by defying the very traditional way of using a grid.

Things I need to research still:
-Why do conspiracy theories intrigue people? ask my target audience (art school students, peers etc.)
-Does anyone in this audience believe in conspiracy theories? This could effect how I present the information, do I portray the theories in a positive light? am I dismissive and scathing? or do I take a balanced approach?
-Obviously look at as many publications as I can
-Imagery that people associate with conspiracy theories/secret societies/mystery in general.
-Research possible title fonts etc.