Designers & Books Blog

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Paris and the Artist’s Book in the 1920s and ’30s

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Beginning with the Dada and Surrealist movements, Paris nurtured a tradition of artists, including Ernst, Tanguy, Arp, and Léger, illustrating imaginative and important books.

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Most people who are familiar with twentieth-century illustrated books are aware that, starting with Parallèlement, Paul Verlaine’s series of sensual poems illustrated by Pierre Bonnard and published by Ambroise Vollard in 1900, a succession of high-profile French art dealers and publishers issued a steady stream of livres d’artistes, or artist’s books.

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Now is Better by Stefan Sagmeister

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By Stefan Sagmeister
Publisher: Phaidon Press
Published: October 2023

Combining art, design, history, and quantitative analysis, transforms data sets into stunning artworks that underscore his positive view of human progress, inspiring us to think about the future with much-needed hope.

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Published: May 2022

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Contributions by Roxane Gay
Publisher: Timber Press
Published: April 15, 2025

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By Steven Heller, Mirko Ilić, and Beth Kleber
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Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911 (Facsimile Edition) by Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller

Die Fläche: Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911 (Facsimile Edition)

By Diane V. Silverthorne, Dan Reynolds, and Megan Brandow-Faller
Publisher: Letterform Archives Books
Published: October 2023

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