This text-only record is part of the interactive AIGA Design Archives where you can view more details, zoom into images and explore other works in the definitive online resource on American design.
 |
Design Category
Book design, 2003
Design firm
KSO (New York, New York)
Collection
(2004) 50 Books/50 Covers of 2003
|
As with most historical novels, the design objective is to illustrate the spirit of the particular time period. The difficult part is to ensure that the cover or jacket design remains current and fresh.
The Madonna of Excelsior revolves around the time period leading up to the end of the apartheid regime in South Africa. The sheer complexity of the subject matter begged for a simple design treatment that would illustrate the central theme of the book.
The cover solution achieved the design objective by using western religious iconography as a symbol of the racial dynamics of South African culture and heritage, setting a lighter tone in what could easily have become too dark or overpowering.
“Just the right place to put the title!” Lars Müller