Celebrating a pair of American masters

ALI: Behind the Lens with an American Legend.
28 pages 10"x14" softcover. Published on the occasion of the exhibition "I am the King of the World": Photographs of Muhammed Ali by George Kalinsky at the New-York Historical Society

It was a terrific honor to be asked to design a large format photobook of George Kalinsky's iconic images of Muhammed Ali for his exhibition at the NY Historical Society.

After showing him the large monographs we had designed on the work of Mark Seliger, Steve McCurry and Rodney Smith for Monadnock Paper, George asked if I might create something similar in time for his December opening. It was a tight schedule and the design format took a couple of turns, but the project was hugely rewarding and the book is really impressive. It is now on sale at the Historical Society's museum store.

The biggest puzzle to solve was the size and binding. At first, I planned to run it on 13" x 19" sheets on the Indigo, with a layflat binding similar to the great book on Joan Miro's masonite paintings printed by Francis Atterbury at his Hurtwood Press in London.  Chris Harrold of Mohawk had shown it to me a few years ago and I've always recalled the strong impression it made. 

However, after we sent dummies to George and the Historical Society, he opted to stick with the saddle-stitched binding on the Monadnock books. I wanted to stick with Indigo, so we ran it on a 10000 that can run 20" x 29" sheets at Sandy Alexander in Clifton NJ. Sandy's color guru, Art Bush, did a fantastic job converting an array of images of varying nature spanning George's 50-year career. George made a great decision to keep the book totally black and white and Art employed a few of his secret tricks to create amazingly rich and dense quadtones.

The stock is Ultrawhite Eggshell Superfine Digital, 100 cover with 80 cover for the text. The quality of the toner laying on the surface is something. Looks like it might be carbon black fused to the paper.  

The result is a book that reflects the heavyweight persona of Ali and his long-time friend and photographer. Both true masters of their art.

Video: Streamline Overview | Mohawk Connects

Mohawk Streamline was one of the largest product design projects I've ever been involved with. It integrated the products of 22 paper brands acquired by Mohawk into a much simpler line of 6 major brands. The result was a major elimination of redundant products, significantly reducing the environmental footprint of Mohawk's manufacturing platform.

It also allowed designers to navigate between the product offerings, as we organized products along functional and aesthetic lines based on current design trends. It was a complex exercise of integrating fashion with papermaking in pursuit of efficiency and environmental sustainability.

I explain the details of each brand's offering in this video.

Design and Print creates Impact

A cornerstone of The DPI Project is a design journal beautifully printed on Monadnock Astrolite. It features photos of iconic brands including Coca-Cola, GMC Truck, Harvard, Formica and Roberto Coin. Photographers include Arthur Meyerson, Terry Heffernan, Scott Dorrance and Antfarm.

As social media and internet marketing floods the inboxes and browsers of American consumers, print communication has never been more important for reaching audiences that are educated, discerning and committed to sustainability.

“The DPI project is dedicated to promoting best practices in print design.”

Enlightened corporations and non-profits are experiencing healthy returns on their marketing investment by leveraging the impact of well-designed materials printed on premium papers. It requires a targeted strategy, but no other media provides the same degree of engagement and retention.

In an effort to increase awareness for the marketing impact of fine printing, we were commissioned by our friends at Monadnock Paper to create a promotional campaign centered around their exceptional line of ultra-premium uncoated papers. The objective is to promote the sharing of best practices among the printers, designers and brand managers who are leaders in the print design industry in the United States.

The DPI Project is both a forum for the exchange of information and a gallery to showcase examples of best practices in print design. Through a print journal titled Single Image, a design blog and local events with designers, paper companies and printers, both experienced and novice designers, printers and brand marketing professionals can learn and share ideas, design inspiration and strategies for helping organizations succeed through the power of print marketing. 

You can find the program at designprintimpact.org, and we would love to hear from anyone who would like to contribute to the effort.

DPV / East Arlington VT

Mentors and Heroes: Mark Seliger and Rusty Truck

Mark Seliger on Caress and Dulcet, presented by Monadnock Paper Mills. Printed by Williamson in Dallas, it is one of the finest examples of printing on uncoated paper you will ever find.

A few years ago, we had the privilege of designing a terrific monograph on the work of Mark Seliger, the legendary photographer for Rolling Stone. I could write an entire post on the exceptional artistry and craftsmanship of his images, but to be honest, his music is even better.

Seliger's band is called Rusty Truck, and they've released two gorgeous albums of lyrical, bluesy country tunes written by Mark and richly colored by his velvety twangy voice. Titled Broken Promises and Kicker Town, they include collaborations with friends Mark made while shooting spreads for RS, including Lenny Kravitz, Jakob Dylan, Gillian Welch, Sheryl Crow, and Willie Nelson.  One of my biggest regrets is that his busy shooting schedule prevents them from touring very often.

Rusty Truck is a standard fixture on our road trip playlist.  You should definitely check them out.

DV / East Arlington VT

Beauty in the Details: The Wisdom of Mies Van der Rohe

As I was directing marketing communications for Simpson Paper in San Francisco, our exceptional design consultant Jim Cross once presented a set of beautiful layouts that included the well-known quote by the legendary architect Mies Van der Rohe. His adage "God is in the details" suggests there is something divine in the practice of design. The quote resonated then, and still inspires me today. Ironically, several years later an International Paper executive I worked with at Strathmore firmly insisted on the counter claim "The devil is in the details."

In fact, both expressions are accurate. One aspires to beauty and art, while the other urges simplicity for the sake of operational excellence.

At Artifact, we embrace both ideals. We find true pleasure in the details of our craft, whether the crisp spine of a well-made book, or the clarity of a logotype on a mobile screen. But we also recognize the importance of keeping things simple and actionable.

At the same time, we know that pitfalls that can arise if proper attention isn't paid to detail. And as many have learned, even the most diligent efforts to avoid them can occasionally fall short.

DPV / East Arlington VT

Design Impact: Sierra Club Exhibit Format Books

The first Exhibit Format book was published in 1960 featuring the lush photography of Ansel Adams. See a complete list of titles.

Artifact's Dave Van de Water and the late Jeff Pollard collaborated on this compelling statement about the value of  wilderness published by Monadnock Paper Mills. The book was distributed to graphic designers during the national debate on logging Alaska's Tongass National Forest. Contact us at this link if you'd like to see a printed copy.

Last December's Senate vote on H.R. 3979, enacted the first expansion of wilderness in the U.S. in more than four years.  The legislation added 250,000 acres designated as wilderness, along with 100 miles of wild and scenic river, including 46 miles of Vermont's Trout and upper Missisquoi Rivers.

With the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act fading in the past, we applaud that act of Congress and can't help reflect on the role that print, writing, photography and design have played in the history of conservation in America.

“Big, four-pound, creamily beautiful, living-room furniture books that argue the cause of conservation in terms, photographically, of exquisite details from the natural world and, textually, of essences of writers like Thoreau and Muir.”

— John McPhee

William Henry Jackson's photographs of the Yellowstone and John Muir's essays in Robert Underwood Johnson's The Century are largely credited with raising public awareness of wild lands that led to the creation of the National Park System. Later, Carleton Watkin's images of Yosemite helped ensure protection of that epic valley as a state park. 

One of the most powerful examples of photography, writing and design supporting conservation goals was Ansel Adams' remarkable edition of Sierra Nevada, The John Muir Trail published in 1938. Limited to 500 copies, the book featured 175 line screen letterpress prints of Adams' photographs tipped onto the pages. A couple of years later, Adams delivered copies of the book to Interior Secretary Harold Ickes and President Roosevelt, illustrating the intense beauty of the Sierra and gaining support that led to the formation of Kings Canyon National Park. 

In the early 1960's, David Brower, Muir's successor at the Sierra Club, initiated the Exhibit Format book series, expanding on the model created by Adams. These large, beautifully-printed coffee-table books featured the work of legendary photographers such as Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter and Wynn Bullock together with the writings of Muir, Thoreau and contemporaries like Wallace Stegner, Nancy Newhall and Robinson Jeffers.

Targeted at influential American leaders, they were highly effective at advancing the Sierra Club's mission. The books helped build the growing appreciation for open lands and the protection of ecosystems and wildlife habitat that led to the Wilderness Act of 1964 and the Clean Water Act of 1972.

Today, more than 110 million acres in the United States are designated as wilderness. However, open lands and ecosystems continue to be under pressure from development and mining. We are hopeful that visionary leaders will continue to ask talented designers, writers and photographers to create designs that inspire Americans who value these treasured resources to take action.

DPV / East Arlington VT
(Revised 10.06.15)

Purgatory or Picketwire: The Importance of Vernacular

The source of the upper Purgatoire lies in the spectacular landscape of the Sangre de Cristo range west of Trinidad, Colorado and Raton, New Mexico. Several years ago, we designed this report on conservation success for the Nature Conservancy in Colorado. See the full report.

We have great respect for the power of vernacular. Tone of voice, jargon, and proper pronunciation are all critical for connecting with an audience. If you're not authentic, you'll be sniffed out quick.  I first learned this lesson while studying graphic design at UMass Amherst.  Everyone on campus instantly pegged an outsider as soon as they called our town Am-Herst, as opposed to the locally preferred Am-erst.

The Purgatoire River in southeastern Colorado is another colorful example. Running east from the Sangre de Cristo mountains along the Santa Fe Trail, it has been beset by a mixed bag of cultural influences that include Spanish conquistadors, French trappers and Anglo ranchers. Spelled "Purgatoire" as the French would have it, current day residents insist on calling it the "Purgatory." Some even prefer the "Picketwire" as John Ford put it in "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance."

A notable angle is that these references developed over generations. But our current dictionary is changing as we speak. Keeping your ear to the ground to know what vernacular your audience is speaking is critical.  It's not easy, but it's critical.

DPV / East Arlington VT

Mentors and Heroes: Living Out Loud

The frontispiece to Monadnock Tonality, a visual essay that combined photographer Marc Norberg's black and white photos of roots blues musicians with an original tone poem by Maxwell Arnold. To see a printed copy, contact us here.

This coming year will be the 20th anniversary of the design office that is now called Artifact. A river trip through Maine's great north woods evolved into a long and successful partnership between the late Jeff Pollard and myself, producing a great deal of exceptional work and many memories.

“If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: ‘I am here to live out loud.’”

— Emil Zola

I learned a lot about both design and life from Jeff and as I was going through my archives recently, I came across this spread that he created as the opening statement in the first issue of our long-running series of design monographs for Monadnock Paper.

Just like Jeff, the statement was bold and not a little audacious. But it was simple, inspiring and readers couldn't help but notice it. It took some of them by surprise but it made many others stop and take a fresh look at Monadnock. Happily, sales grew as a result of the impression we helped them make.

This is the work we do. Over time, we have proven that simplicity, compelling imagery and a strong, clear message are the critical elements for creating success.

As we begin a new year, I share this as an homage to both Jeff and the power of design.

DPV / East Arlington VT

Where the River Turns West

The Roaring Branch below the Kelly Stand. Photo: Seline Skoug

Sense of Place

Our office is in a colonial-era building on the Fayville Branch of the Battenkill River in East Arlington Vermont. A beautiful flume cascades behind the building filling our office with its music. 

Below the village, the Fayville joins the Warm Brook and Roaring Branches before spilling into the Battenkill at the foot of Red Mountain and heading due west toward its confluence with the Hudson. The Battenkill is highly-regarded by anglers and well-known for its cagey brown trout. It has shaped a beautiful valley, whose floor is among the oldest geological formations in North America.

We live in a small town because we value community and a clear sense of place. Landscape, open lands, farm-to-table culture and a sustainable way of life are important to us. But while we live in a rural locale, our experience, background and travels inform everything we do. New York and Boston are within a morning drive and we have done work for organizations from New England to San Francisco, Montana to Virginia. We are based in Vermont, but we maintain a national focus. 

We invite you to learn more about us. Please let us know who you are.