We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Stefan Canuel about their original and creative Exhibition Catalogue design work. Stefan Canuel is an award-winning communication designer, that makes our world a better place with their original exhibition catalogue works.
Stefan Canuel ("SC") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work Chris Cran Book Exhibition Catalogue. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
SC : My first personal encounter with Chris Cran’s work was during the 1990s when I was still studying at University. At the time his halftone paintings really grabbed my attention. I decided to use the idea of the halftone dot as an approach for the cover as this technique has been one constant in the artist’s multifaceted career. The color sleeve was incorporated as a way to reference the many layers in the artist’s practice, and the use of one of the Chorus faces on the cover was a humorous nod to the visitor experience.
SC : It was essential that the design of this catalogue be sympathetic to the work of this contemporary artist. To have a book that could play with people’s perceptions.
SC : At the moment I don’t have any future plans, I know the design is up for other nominations this year and I am hoping for the best.
SC : I usually work out several ideas before settling on the right one but in this case it was so evident to go with the halftone dot. I then had to find a way to alter the look of the book and incorporated the idea of the color sleeve and it really worked out well.
SC : Trying to achieve something different using other non-traditional printing medium in my concept, that something I really enjoy doing. The halftone image was a good start and I had to go further and chose the thick UV and the polypropylene sleeve. The use of different materials is important to my work and makes me love what I do.
SC : I have a soft spot for publication design.
SC : Yes, I used to share an office with a colleague of mine at the time. We would often brainstorm ideas to make our projects better.
SC : It is for supporters of the artist Chris Cran but I think this book is for everyone that has a love for contemporary art or print design. It is also a tool to promote the artist’s work.
SC : To be able to have more then just another nice book. This book reflects the way the artist plays with perception, how he turns something into something else with visual tricks including trompe l’oeil and the incorporation of printing and photographic techniques in his paintings.
SC : The full layout was done in Adobe InDesign and other component like the endpapers was produced in Adobe Photoshop. Adobe Illustrator was also used to turn the halftone images into vector format for the black ink on the cover and UV plate.
SC : When the book sleeve is on it shows a yellow halftone print of a woman with knockoff type. When the sleeve is removed the halftone photo is only black and white and the type is not present. Together these two states represent the many layers in this artist’s practice.
SC : The collaboration with the artist was crucial. The curator of the exhibition, the In-house editors and the production manager were also part of the team that made this project happen. Also the print house was very helpful with their expertise.
SC : As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoy pushing the limits and using different print techniques . The polypropylene sleeve was also a bit of a challenge. We needed to have something not too expensive and that could be realized in a short time-frame.
SC : Looking back at the artist’s background, the artist’s past catalogues, market trends for contemporary art books, the artist’s current production, and the future of the publication as well. When trying to convey a design idea I will often use mood boards to articulate my ideas.
SC : It was crucial that the artist’s work was respected, yet at the same time it was important to add another dimension to give depth and autonomy to the final product. Because the image on the front cover of this catalogue is an altered version of the original artwork, I had to reassure the artist that this would be the best approach. It was important to explain to him the value in making a book that would be an object in its own right. Altering, cropping and overlapping text is always a potential issue when working on art publications.
SC : I heard of this prestigious competition in the past and after getting rewarded nationally with this book design I thought I should apply.
SC : When people are on board with your design this could go a long way.
SC : The artist and curator were overjoyed with the final result and the catalogue’s reception has been outstanding. Because of the strength of the image used for the cover of the catalogue, the exhibition design and all marketing materials were also based on the look of the publication.
