Tashwed27sept

Version 2

Project 1: Bare-Journal Issue 2

Bare Journal is a playful magazine on fashion and culture. The cover of the second issue is simple but striking: an atmospheric, black and white portrait of a girl, with the word BARE trailing across her hands in a punchy shade of light green. Inside, the pages are filled with imagery and articles with no client, no shimmer, no retouch. Instead, the guiding thread of the issue was its theme, which was 'journeys'. The editorials are artistic rather than commercial, and photographs fill the entire page. The typography used is black and often irregular, expressive. The magazine is some 30cm x 22cm large and is printed in full color on thick, uncoated paper.

This project came to me after meeting the art director of BARE through a mutual friend. Our design process began with long conversations about the raw aesthetic and attitude of the magazine. Then we worked together with an editorial team of 3 others, spread around Europe and North America. While they collected stories and polished text; we sketched out visual counterpoints to the editorials. I made collages and took photographs to add tactile elements to the magazine. We worked in tandem and bounced back ideas over 6 weeks, after which the issue was sent to the printer in Amsterdam.

As a graphic designer with a passion for writing, working for a magazine had always been one of my dreams. I loved the autonomous aspect of BARE, and how much freedom we had over the issue as a whole. As this was its second issue, our goal was to continue to evolve the ethos and style of the magazine: to champion imperfect moments, find place for irregularities and be expressive with colors and layouts.

Project 2: Space Odyssey publication

2001: A Space Odyssey is an experimental publication / object inspired by the script of the original film. Printed on thick pages of off-white canvas, this unique 'book' has no spine; instead the bottom of each page is sewn to the top of the next by a zig-zag of shiny black thread. The entire script of the film is printed vertically on these pages in a long loop, and when completely unfolded the publication reaches almost 3m long. As it gets more unwieldy to read; the actual typography and layout of the pages also get progressively more chaotic.

The idea for this publication arose while watching the film and making notes. I was moved by the ebb and flow of the score; and fascinated by the colors and the rhythm of the scenes. Much of my research centred on creating a printed book that played with the reader’s sense of time and space. In production, I tested different materials and binding techniques, finally choosing for canvas and sewing because they allowed me to create a 'loop'. At the same time I designed the content to evoke a sense of evolution: using different typefaces and page layouts for each of the three acts.

This project was an assignment from my days as a design student. The brief was to reproduce the script of Space Odyssey in a unique way, and for me it became an exercise in pushing what a book could look and feel like. I was inspired by the experimental nature of the script and wanted to emphasize how it deals with time in a non-linear way. Ultimately, Space Odyssey was an attempt to think outside of the box and create an atypical reading experience.

Version 1

Project 1: Bare-Journal Issue 2 (https://alexaraez.com/portfolio/barejournal/)

What (100 words max)

It's the second issue of Bare Journal, an independent fashion and culture magazine. The front cover is simple and striking: an atmospheric, black and white portrait of a woman with the word BARE printed in light green, trailling across her hands. The font reminds you of an old wood block type. Inside, it is filled with imagery and articles which have no creative brief, no client, no shimmer, no retouch. The editorials are more artistic than commercial, and photographs fill the entire page. They always open with a bold title spread. The type is black and often large; irregular, playful. The magazine is slightly larger than your usual fashion magazines and is printed in full color on thick, uncoated paper.

How (100 words max)

I met the art director of BARE through a mutual friend. We talked several times about the idea of a fashion, arts and culture magazine with a bit of a twist. I accepted his invitation to work on BARE as a graphic designer, along with an editorial team of 3 others, spread around Europe and North America. While they collected stories and polished text; we sketched out visual counterpoints to the editorials. I made collages and took photographs, to add tactile elements to the magazine. We worked in tandem and bounced back ideas over a period of 6 weeks. The magazine was printed in Amsterdam.

Why (100 words max)

As a graphic designer with a passion for writing, working for a magazine had always been one of my dreams. I loved the autonomous aspect of BARE, and how much freedom we had over the issue as a whole. As this was its second issue, our goal was to continue to evolve the ethos and style of the magazine: to champion imperfect moments, find place for irregularities and be expressive with colors and layouts. The theme of this issue was ‘journeys’ and that inspired many of our choices.

Project 2: Space Odyssey publication

What (100 words max)

It’s the script of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, printed on thick pages of canvas paper. The paper size is slightly narrower than an A4. It is off-white and has more weight and texture to it than normal paper. The publication has no spine; instead the bottom of each piece of paper is sewn to the top of the next, by a zig-zag of shiny black thread. The entire script is printed vertically in a long loop, and when completely onfolded the publication reaches almost 3m long. The typography gets progressively more chaotic as the plot develops.

How (100 words max)

I watched the film while making notes on what moved me the most. I listened to the ebb and flow of the score; became fascinated by the colors and the rhythm of the film. It became my goal to create a publication that played with the reader’s sense of time and space. I experimented with different fabrics and papers, and chose canvas for it’s combination of flexibility & weight. I learned how to use the sewing machine and tested several different sewing methods. Meanwhile I designed each page of the script taking inspiration from the history and evolution of book typography.

Why (100 words max)

This publication was an assignment from my days as a design student. I wanted to emphasize the experimental nature of the script and how it deals with time in a non-linear way. This is why I used atypical materials. The typography and layout were chosen to visualize a sense of evolution: just like the script, it begins in an orderly, humanistic style, becomes more conflicted and mechanical, and then ends in an almost unreadable fashion. For me this project was all about trying new techniques and playing with the medium of the book.