Book: Emigre (No. 70)

 

Yippee! Found a beautiful book a few days ago! Big one to… Yes, yes, happy days!

“Emigre No.70 – The Look Back Issue: selections from Emigre Magazine #1 - #69 (1984 - 2009). Celebrating 25 years in graphic design” is what the covers says, and well, that kind of says it all, doesn’t it?

In 1984 Rudy VanderLans and his wife Zuzana Licko started Emigre Graphics, the type foundry and at the same time launched Emigre, the magazine (first it was tabloid-sized, later a 8.5/11 inch journal and eventually a soft-cover book). Soon, it would become one of the most influential graphic design magazines around. It showed us what was being made out there on the cutting edge: from the early bitmap designs of the 80’s to the so called “legibility wars” (I wonder who coined that term?) of the late 90’s. And it taught us what was being thought, from the French linguistic theory advocated in design schools and the interest in the vernacular as a source of inspiration to the critical design writing of the early 00’s. All this can be found in the “Look Back Issue”, through spreads and illustrations, interviews and essays, all reprints from the previous 69 issues. As an extra you also get a cd with music (which I thought was booooo-ring) and videos (which I haven’t seen yet), a little booklet with “letters to the editor” (a great idea) and a poster (to hang in your room if you still fancy yourself boyish enough to do so…)

I remember buying a few issues of Emigre back when I was in art school (mid legibility war-period). I loved the look of it, but I didn’t understand anything of what was being said in the interviews and articles. I wonder if I’ll do better now, trying to read some of them again. Oh, when am I going to find the time to do so? More than 500 pages…. I should have done this the previous 25 years!

 

 

Technorati Tags: Emigre,Rudy VanderLans,Zuzana Licko,graphic design,magazine

.