Ceramix. Art and Ceramics from Rodin to Schütte

Book coverCeramix. Art and Ceramics from Rodin to Schütte
Book coverCeramix. Art and Ceramics from Rodin to Schütte
Book coverCeramix. Art and Ceramics from Rodin to Schütte
Book coverCeramix. Art and Ceramics from Rodin to Schütte

The almost square format of this catalogue from the Bonnefanten museum in Maastricht makes it automatically conspicuous, as do the Yves Klein blue of the cover and the gold-coloured lettering. The title page with its truncated effect – as if something has gone wrong with the trimming – sends us off on the wrong track. Inside there is a gem of a book about how ceramic has influenced and changed the way painters and sculptors work. In their scenario for this book the makers included an expert account of the crossover aspect of the various arts, at the same time bringing numerous subjects together.

‘Books like this that give you a detailed overview are heaven on earth.’ ‘It is much more cleverly done than you first think.’ These are just two of the comments that reflected the general enthusiasm. The illustrations, too, are beautifully printed. This is clearly the work of a printer with a feel for his press, so that the slightly over-dark lithography still produces a brilliant result. The typography met with equally approving looks.

 

The panel’s deliberations ended on an even higher note when they arrived at the last part of the book. Here in an appendix there are biographies of the artists and a chronological overview with a high usability quotient. Ceramix is a classic example of a dedicated and beautifully crafted general catalogue which doesn’t employ smooth talking to get out of the hard work.

Edition: 2015
Author: Camille Morineau, Lucia Pesapane (ed.)
Language: English / French / Dutch, translated by Annette David, Timothy Stroud
Publisher: Snoeck Publishers, Ghent (BE)
Graphic designer: Dune Lunel, Paris (FR)
Lithographer: Geca Screen, Heule (BE)
Printer: Printer Trento, Trento (IT)
Binder: Printer Trento, Trento (IT)
Size book block (w x h x d in mm): 240 x 280 x 30
Number of pages: 320 p.
Print run: 5,000
Price: € 39
ISBN: 978 94 6161 251 9 (E) / 978 94 6161 235 9 (F) / 978 94 6161 250 2 (D)
Font and foundry: Aperçu (Colophon), Dala Floda (Commercial Type), Lyon (Commercial Type), logo by Marcel van der Heyden, Heerlen
Binding style: sewn hardback, cover and book block cut flush at head, front and tail
Material: 150gsm LuxoArt Samt (interior), 140gsm Planoplus (endpapers), 130gsm GardaMatt Art, over grey board (binding)