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Design Category
Book design, 1998
Design firm
Pentagram Design (New York, New York)
Collection
(1999) 50 Books/50 Covers of 1998
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Tibor Kalman: Perverse Optimist is the comprehensive monograph of the late designer’s work and ideas, with essays and other commentary from clients, collaborators, critics, and friends.
Reducing a lifelong body of work to a single volume was not easy, especially when the subject was the notoriously provocative and contrary but essentially big-hearted Tibor. He worked closely with the designers and editors throughout the process, lovingly questioning every convention of book design, including the need for a title page or table of contents (the book contains neither). On the other hand, the book is generous with information, with many different voices weighing in at various points on Tibor and the history of M&Co. The text-free cover was meant to turn the book into an object.
With Tibor’s reputation as a maddening collaborator, I began this project with some trepidation. To my surprise, the experience was a joy from start to finish. I miss him.