Art book update – 002

Last week I visited some bookshops in Amsterdam. I felt a lot of pressure since launching the Geyser campaign and needed to clear my head. I quickly discovered there's a recurring theme in the books that catch my eye. I call them 'zines without a budget' – books that have a more modest look, yet are beautifully designed and use various printing techniques in a more subtle way. The opposite of the large, glossy and colourful publications that scream for attention. 

The best designed book I found (so far) is Project Japan by Rem Koolhaas. Designed by Irma Boom. I've posted about it before. For now it's my main source of inspiration and I'll steal plenty of design elements from this book. The crappy pictures I took at the bookstore don't do it justice at all. 

https://blossom.nogood.studio/54374358dec9d4b702a0e5e617bacfaa15150ce77cb56738abb6fee3fb203573.gif 

My trip to the bookstores also sparked some new insights. In order for the book to become more than an illustration portfolio I need to provide context about the world my illustrations inhabit. I want to tell the reader about bitcoin and the greater open-source space. About NOSTR, zaps, the V4V model, online privacy, decentralised tech and open protocols.

Written content. Unfortunately I'm a terrible writer. The solution? Asking prominent figures in the space and people whose work I find inspiring to contribute. Ideally something written specifically for the book, though I'm well aware that's a lot to ask. It could also be a repurposed article or blog post or a snippet of one. It could be podcast transcript.

So far I’ve reached out to a small group of people and was pleasantly surprised when some of them agreed to help out! I’m not used to bluntly ask for favours so this was a big step to take.

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NEXT STEPS
This week I'll visit two printers that specialise in producing art books. Their initial quotes were in line with my expectations and I'm looking forward to discuss options, get their input and see a lot of beautiful books. After this the fun begins and I'll start working on my first designs.

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https://blossom.nogood.studio/86aa109353ba9aba9208ddfc4ed10376abfb94db06a3ad1b34bbff1dc918d612.jpg

If you want to support this project and pre-order a book please have a look at the nostr:npub1kmwdmhuxvafg05dyap3qmy42jpwztrv9p0uvey3a8803ahlwtmnsnhxqk9 campaign. Reposting this note also helps to get the word out there!

https://geyser.fund/project/nogoodartbook