silhouettes
bookdesign
Kara Walker
An amazingly intriguing New York based artist. She is best known for her candid investigation of race, gender, sexuality and violence through silhouetted figures. Encapsulating her message and style in book form was truly a captivating challenge.
Kara Walker : an amazingly intriguing New York-based artist. She is best known for her candid investigation of race, gender, sexuality, and violence through silhouetted figures. Encapsulating her message and style into a book was a captivating challenge.
myideation
Incorporating silhouettes as an integral part of the design.
Walker’s imagery is often striking and leans heavily towards silhouettes. These flat depictions of graphic and bold subjects make her style unique. In order to capture that essence, these silhouettes needed to be an integral part of the design.
myapproach
In order to create imposition through a three dimensional object, a custom case was created, replicating the artwork of one of her most famous installations, “The Caravan”.
The artist often interposes her silhouettes on top of imagery in order to create a commentary, a reflection. To achieve that effect through a three-dimensional object, a custom case was created, replicating the artwork of one of her most famous installations, The Caravan. Aiming to maintain the impact of the original installation, this case was designed and made out of metal : laser-cut aluminium.
A book is made to be felt, touched. The artist’s message needed to be conveyed not only through visuals but through feeling as well.
Once pulled out of the case, the book needed to still represent Kara Walker’s body of work. A full-blown sketch of hers was utilized, providing the same overlaying effect so often used in her art, while maintaining both pieces true to her hand.
The Katastwóf Karavan. Prospect4: The Lotus in Spite of the Swamp, Algiers Point, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018.
theoutcome
A custom metal case made absolute sense, but creating it proved to be a real challenge. From designing it, to creating a 3D model, to picking the right materials, at the right thickness, with the right finish. Every step brought with it a new set of hurdles to overcome, testing my resilience and determination along the way.
A custom metal case made absolute sense, but creating it proved to be a real challenge. From designing it, to creating a 3D model, to picking the right materials, at the right thickness, with the right finish. Every step brought with it a new set of hurdles to overcome, testing our resilience and determination along the way.
Nonetheless, with enough time and by establishing the right communication methods, everything ended up working out. I’m very grateful to all the partners that helped me bring this piece to life. From the production of the case to the creation of the book itself, I couldn’t have executed this without assistance.
This book was imagined by me but brought to life by a small group of great people. Through collaboration and the use of Walker’s work process, an interesting piece was created. A piece with a story, Kara’s story.
