book (design) story #681
markus kutter:
gebrauchsanweisung / leser gesucht
arthur niggli, teufen, 1959
printer: brin + tanner a.g., basel
size: 27 x 15 cm
designer: karl gerstner
book story 17 was about an experimental novel by markus kutter (1925-2005) with congenial typography by karl gerstner (1930-2017). this booklet was another kutter/gerstner cooperation in a similar vein.
it is a book that can be read from both sides — or is it two books in one?
richard hollis translated the two titles aptly "instructions for creative work in the future" and "readers wanted for the future of creative work" (see isbn 1856694755, p.229).
the pages are "french fold": joined at the fore-edge and printed on the outer side only – like our previous book.
the sections on white paper are introductions to the middle, grey section which actually seems to represent the "work" the author talks about.
but let's first turn the book 180° and start from the end, or rather the book's other beginning: ...
the titles on the wrappers and on the printed glassine jacket are in gerstner's usual akzidenz-grotesk.
a stamp reveals that this book was previously owned ...
... by another well-known basel-based graphic designer.
in the grey section the word "werk" (work) ...
... is treated as material for systematic, formal, visual operations.
or as the author states: ...
... "material becomes construction".
in the middle of the book the "work" undergoes "mirroring" and "rotation" – and so the two sides of the book are seamlessly joined!
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