wiedler.ch

book (design) story #269

max bill:
wassily kandinsky

the institute of contemporary art, boston; in association with maeght, éditeur,, 1951
printer: r. blanchard, paris
size: 23 x 20 cm
designer: max bill

a "k" signature printed in gold on this slipcase signalises that it houses a book on modern art pioneer wassily kandinsky (1866-1944).

one of kandinsky's colour woodcuts from the 1922 "kleine welten" (small worlds) portfolio adornes the wrappers which are protected by a glassine jacket bearing the artist's name printed in black. the glassine has considerably yellowed with age, while the inner pages are bright and clean. printed glassine jackets on (swiss-designed) art books were popular in the mid-20th century, see story stories 25 (designed by bill) and 26 (designed by lohse). so it is no big surprise that this kandinsky book was designed and edited by max bill (1908-1994) who had been a student of kandinsky's at the bauhaus dessau.

the book came with a card laid in saying: "compliments of the institute of contemporary art". the "ica" museum in boston (mass.) published this book in cooperation with maeght, an important art dealer and publisher in paris.

among the authors are jean arp, carola giedion-welcker, nina kandinsky, alberto magnelli, and max bill.

the typography is in a style max bill has also used for other book, however the slab-serif rockwell typeface is rather unusual for bill.

lots of white space around narrow columns,...

... and nice photographs such as this one showing kandinsky on a ship in 1931.

the main text is french, with a section of german and english translations at the back printed on blue paper – different coloured papers are almost a trademark of books designed by max bill.