Man of Letters & People of Substance
Man of Letters & People of Substance
Man of Letters & People of Substance
Man of Letters & People of Substance
Man of Letters & People of Substance
Man of Letters & People of Substance

Man of Letters & People of Substance

deVicq design, New York, New York, 2007

Description

In 2000, I did an alphabet book for my daughter called Bembo’s Zoo. The whole book was illustrated with animal images using only the letters of their names. When it was time to publish the book, my editor asked me for an author’s photo and I decided to use the same process to make my own portrait. From then on, I created portraits of writers.

I tried to match the typefaces in two ways: first to writing style, second to a peculiar feature of their faces. A letter is much more than a representation of a symbol—it depicts a period, a certain mood and perhaps, in this book, the spirit of the artist.

In the second part of the book, I played with images, creating faces out of old engravings and silhouettes. There is a part of the human brain whose purpose is to identify facial patterns. This specialization aided and protected our ancestors, who, in order to survive, learned to recognize faces. From email emoticons to the man on the moon, we constantly look to reconstruct this pattern and to recognize it.

Juror Notes

Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich's images embody playful exploration without sacrificing refinement and grace.

Collections: 50 Books | 50 Covers of 2007
Repository: Denver Art Museum
Discipline: Book design
Format: Book

Credits

Design firm
deVicq design
Creative director
Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich
Art director
Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich
Designer
Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich
Jacket designer
Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich
Illustrator
Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich
Production director
J Delaney
Production coordinator
J Delaney
Author
Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich
Editor
David R. Godine
Trim size
5.5 x 8 inches
Pages
96
Quantity printed
2,500
Printer
Friesens
Jacket printer
Friesens
Papers
Glatfelter Offset Natural, 70 lb. (text), Champion, 80 lb. (cover)
Binder
Friesens
Binding
Smyth sewn
Publisher
David R. Godine
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