One of the most daring books in our selection. A Shrine to Aphrodite, rather than rejecting every convention in the design tradition of the book, presents us with a thoughtful play of layout diversity and contrast. The relation between the cover and the inside content is very interesting. If you do not open the book, you might just presume that it is just another artist’s book, perhaps too serious; however, the inside is completely the opposite—rather nonchalant and entertaining, highlighting the work of Philipp Gufler in the best way possible with specific and idiosyncratic typesetting and layout. Amidst all the books with conventional and pseudo-modernist type and layout, A Shrine to Aphrodite was like a breath of fresh air, and reviewing and investigating it felt like pure pleasure.
A Shrine To Aphrodite
Edition: 2023
Date of publication: February 2023
Language: German, English
Translator: Isabel Bredenbröker
Image editor: Julika Rudelius
Photographer: Julika Rudelius
Artist: Philipp Gufler
Publisher: Hammann von Mier Verlag, Munich (DE)
Graphic designer: Sabo Day (Amsterdam)
Printer: Drukkerij RaddraaierSSP, Amsterdam
Binder: AGIA, Amsterdam
Size book block (w x h x d in mm): 226 x 297 x 10
Number of pages: 72
Print run: 150
Price: € 100
ISBN: 9783947250516
Font and foundry: Letter Gothic (AdobeOriginals), Gigi (ITC)
Binding style: Sewn softcover, front and back cover of 4 pages sewn in, cold-glued, binding glued with grey linen head-cap (leftover batch from the warehouse of Agia speciale afwerking)
Paper for interior (grammage): 170gsm Arena Extra White Rough, Fedrigoni
Material cover (grammage): 350gsm AlgroDesign, Igepa
Special features: Linen headcap is screen-printed in black (Krijger Vormgave, Zaandam), cover and interior printed in black; 16 sheets (each 20 x 24 cm) of mirror paper (0.15 mm Mirri™H Farbe 097, Kohlschein) are glued into the interior, screen-printed in 16 different pigments by Philipp Gufler in Grafisch Atelier Hilversum