Subjective Realities
Studio Blue, Chicago, Illinois, 2005
Description
The Refco Group has assembled one of the world’s most daring corporate art collections, which is composed entirely of conceptual photography. The design of this catalog embodies the probing spirit of the collection. Sequences of provocative images open and close the book; the typography is assertive yet clinical; the acetate jacket alludes to the artificial or packaged reality to which the artwork often refers. As part of our process, we art-directed photography of the collection as it is installed in Refco’s offices, using these images in the book to emphasize the art’s daily presence in the lives of Refco’s employees. Finally, we arranged for the book to be distributed by Distributed Art Publications.
Juror Notes
The design contains the right level of quirk for the imagery—plastic cover, exaggerated word spacing of artists’ names throughout, and occasional short-trimmed pages—all of which let the art speak foremost. A good balance.
Credits
- Design firm
- Studio Blue
- Creative directors
- Kathy Fredrickson, Cheryl Towler Weese
- Designers
- Cheryl Towler Weese, Gail Wiener, Marty Maxwell, Maia Wright
- Photographers
- Michael Tropea, Joy Wolke
- Production coordinator
- Marty Maxwell
- Authors
- Adam Brooks, Dave Hickey, Judith Russi Kirshner
- Editors
- Jan Estep, Britt Salvesen
- Trim size
- 9.88 x 11 inches
- Pages
- 288
- Quantity printed
- 10,000
- Typefaces
- Gotham, Cachet
- Printer/binder
- GZD (Germany)
- Papers
- Job Parilux Silk 115 lb. text, Job Parilux cover
- Binding method
- Smyth-sewn softcover with plastic jacket
- Publisher/client
- Refco Group, Ltd.