When designing a cover for a biography, the designer usually doesn’t get such great raw material to work with. This is a skillfully crafted montage of Corbusian (new word!) ephemera: Abstract cuts of architecture, a screened blueprint, and a handsome photo of the young artist. Even the type pays homage to the stenciled modern that he used on his blueprints.
There aren’t many options when you do a biography, especially when it goes through several stages of approval. Mendelsund does a good job of filling the usual requirements (large name, portrait of the subject) while making the cover something interesting and interpretive. If I had never heard of Le Corbuseir, I would still get an abstract sense of who he was and what he was all about. And at 848 pages, I think I might pick up a copy—It came out yesterday.
—
, 2008-11-12 06:00:00 -0500
Not crazy about the flat photographs. A bit of contrast would be nice.
As for the layout, I find the proportions annoying. I see the golden ratio in there, but that vertical divide right through the middle of the cover really ruins it for me.
I guess the bottom line is: I get it, I just don’t like it.
—
, 2008-11-12 07:17:00 -0500
love it. wonderful typography and composition and colors! I too would get a very clear sense of what this person was into or might be about without knowing much about him. I wonder what the spine looks like for this hefty beast…
This cover rewards lingering. It is precisely detailed, the thin vertical shapes and thin line at right continuing the architectural forms of the top photo; the silhouetted form in the mid-right photo runs smoothly into the carefully cropped eyeglasses; the black shape at bottom right echoes the shape and line of the collar. This dedication to detail is as “Corbusian” (if I may borrow the neologism) as the content of the assorted pictorial elements and typography.
My only complaint is the choice of font for the author. My eye keeps wanting to see the stencil repeated or “quoted”.
—
, 2008-11-12 09:17:00 -0500
i don’t love the type, but there seems to be a reason for it.
i really like how the color fields are big and expansive and also small and detailed. the interplay between the big yellow, red and green shapes with the right edge black, blue, small yellow and white is awesome. great to have macro and micro elements.
the one thing that bothers me most is the image at the very top. cover that up with your hand- isn’t that better?!
—
, 2008-11-12 09:23:00 -0500
Here is a glimpse at the spine, which is a nice extension of the cover.
It feels like a pastiche of Mondrian, with an infusion of some Paul Strand photographs. It’s very nice – great attention and skill was paid to the balance and composition.
The fontography is dubious.
Shalls: I couldn’t agree with you less about removing the top image.
Peter: if you pop in here, I’m curious why (looking at the spine now) the light blue field [on the spine] doesn’t align with the hairline vertical stress of the ‘U’ in CORBUSIER (like the yellow field on the front cover). I keep looking at that and want to move the blue box to the left so it kisses the hairline stress of the U. Also it would make Corbusier read better (You could argue it reads “LE” “CORBU” “SIER” now) with that tiny serif just spilling into the green. Otherwise I love this cover.
I haven’t researched this too much, but according to Lineto (the foundry that designed the typeface names after Le C.), this kind of stenciled Modern was used extensively by Le Corbusier. I doubt he used it exclusively though—probably only as a titling face. Lineto’s design was inspired by some old zinc stencils found by one of their designers.
My guess as the book itself features some of Corbusier’s work that uses the stencil font, and that informed Peter’s decision. If anyone can find original images let us know where.
Le Corbusier: A Life
When designing a cover for a biography, the designer usually doesn’t get such great raw material to work with. This is a skillfully crafted montage of Corbusian (new word!) ephemera: Abstract cuts of architecture, a screened blueprint, and a handsome photo of the young artist. Even the type pays homage to the stenciled modern that he used on his blueprints.
There aren’t many options when you do a biography, especially when it goes through several stages of approval. Mendelsund does a good job of filling the usual requirements (large name, portrait of the subject) while making the cover something interesting and interpretive. If I had never heard of Le Corbuseir, I would still get an abstract sense of who he was and what he was all about. And at 848 pages, I think I might pick up a copy—It came out yesterday.
— , 2008-11-12 06:00:00 -0500
Not crazy about the flat photographs. A bit of contrast would be nice.
As for the layout, I find the proportions annoying. I see the golden ratio in there, but that vertical divide right through the middle of the cover really ruins it for me.
I guess the bottom line is: I get it, I just don’t like it.
— , 2008-11-12 07:17:00 -0500
love it. wonderful typography and composition and colors! I too would get a very clear sense of what this person was into or might be about without knowing much about him. I wonder what the spine looks like for this hefty beast…
— ian b. shimkoviak , 2008-11-12 07:20:00 -0500
Phaidon did a nice one on him too.
— ian b. shimkoviak , 2008-11-12 09:06:00 -0500
This cover rewards lingering. It is precisely detailed, the thin vertical shapes and thin line at right continuing the architectural forms of the top photo; the silhouetted form in the mid-right photo runs smoothly into the carefully cropped eyeglasses; the black shape at bottom right echoes the shape and line of the collar. This dedication to detail is as “Corbusian” (if I may borrow the neologism) as the content of the assorted pictorial elements and typography.
My only complaint is the choice of font for the author. My eye keeps wanting to see the stencil repeated or “quoted”.
— , 2008-11-12 09:17:00 -0500
i don’t love the type, but there seems to be a reason for it.
i really like how the color fields are big and expansive and also small and detailed. the interplay between the big yellow, red and green shapes with the right edge black, blue, small yellow and white is awesome. great to have macro and micro elements.
the one thing that bothers me most is the image at the very top. cover that up with your hand- isn’t that better?!
— , 2008-11-12 09:23:00 -0500
Here is a glimpse at the spine, which is a nice extension of the cover.
— Keenan Cummings , 2008-11-12 09:33:00 -0500
just fantastic. a true piece of graphic design. thanks for that.
— ian b. shimkoviak , 2008-11-12 09:35:00 -0500
Does anyone think that Le C looks like a more attractive Chip Kidd with those glasses?
— BW , 2008-11-12 13:18:00 -0500
For the record, “Corbusian” is a word. http://www.google.com/search?q=Corbusian
— Allan , 2008-11-12 14:49:00 -0500
It feels like a pastiche of Mondrian, with an infusion of some Paul Strand photographs. It’s very nice – great attention and skill was paid to the balance and composition.
The fontography is dubious.
Shalls: I couldn’t agree with you less about removing the top image.
— C-Dog , 2008-11-12 20:54:00 -0500
Peter: if you pop in here, I’m curious why (looking at the spine now) the light blue field [on the spine] doesn’t align with the hairline vertical stress of the ‘U’ in CORBUSIER (like the yellow field on the front cover). I keep looking at that and want to move the blue box to the left so it kisses the hairline stress of the U. Also it would make Corbusier read better (You could argue it reads “LE” “CORBU” “SIER” now) with that tiny serif just spilling into the green. Otherwise I love this cover.
— Auguste , 2008-11-13 02:25:00 -0500
Phaidon cover uses the same typeface. What is the relation to Corbusier and this typeface? He used it on his blueprints? Exclusively?
http://www.amazon.com/Corbusier-Grand-Editors-Phaidon/dp/0714846686/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226590444&sr=1-1
— , 2008-11-13 02:36:00 -0500
Sally, I was about to post the same thing. Strange to see that typeface used twice for the same subject.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5115iy8HxaL.SS400.jpg
— neil , 2008-11-13 02:39:00 -0500
I haven’t researched this too much, but according to Lineto (the foundry that designed the typeface names after Le C.), this kind of stenciled Modern was used extensively by Le Corbusier. I doubt he used it exclusively though—probably only as a titling face. Lineto’s design was inspired by some old zinc stencils found by one of their designers.
My guess as the book itself features some of Corbusier’s work that uses the stencil font, and that informed Peter’s decision. If anyone can find original images let us know where.
— Keenan Cummings , 2008-11-13 04:55:00 -0500
http://www.lamidesign.com/pages/notes/fonts/modsten1.html
this is what i found out about it…
— ian b. shimkoviak , 2008-11-13 05:27:00 -0500
You can also see the face used here in one of his sketches (the resolution and size don’t do it justice, but you get the idea)
http://www.modernarchitecture.net/wp-content/uploads/mundaneumcorb.jpg
— ian b. shimkoviak , 2008-11-13 05:36:00 -0500
Now I’d love to see the back panel & flaps! Looks like the flaps are extra wide, from the photo above…
— MW , 2008-11-13 06:36:00 -0500
aaaand we’re back. Sorry for the delay.
— , 2008-11-16 09:08:00 -0500
I have to say that the colors are really bothering me at this point – the sky blue of the spine is some relief, however.
— stewge , 2008-11-16 15:11:00 -0500
I find the colors quite, well, complimentary! I think they’re perfectly in tone with Corbusier and his tome.
— Sally B. Meadows , 2008-11-17 02:09:00 -0500
I think PM’s cover is a wonderfully unexpected solution, especially for a biography. He never fails to disappoint.
— Christopher Tobias , 2008-11-17 08:14:00 -0500
my comment above should have read, “he never disappoints.” I mean I am never disappointed with his stuff.
— Christopher Tobias , 2008-11-17 13:02:00 -0500
Lets get a final look at the back cover to see this baby in it’s full glory.
360 pls.
— ian b. shimkoviak , 2008-11-21 10:22:00 -0500
Deadpan graphic design—I love it!
— Drew Heffron , 2008-12-01 07:30:00 -0500