Martin Venezky: It is Beautiful...Then Gone

Image from Amazon.ca 

A few years ago I stumbled across Martin Venezky's It is Beautiful... Then Gone in a San Francisco design bookstore. This is a book whose contents have planted themselves firmly in my mind. Venezky is an extraordinary graphic designer (and teacher) who marries handwork with technology, although handwork clearly wears the pants in this union. Venezky celebrates process and experimentation in his collaged illustration, poster, and magazine designs. He and his design team use photograms, broken spirographs, old typewriters, and other old technologies to create their intricate designs. The final essay, "thoughts on the classroom," is particularly inspiring. Here Venezky shares his teaching philosophies and some of the exercises he gives his graphic design students that force them to experiment, play, discover and to push their ideas far beyond their expectations. The work of his student Nazgol Ansarinia is especially thought provoking. Check out Venezky's company website: Appetite Engineers for more eye candy. Another feature that I love about the book: Venezky shares copious images of his inspiration wall. Martin Venezky's inspiration wall kicks ass!