Despite the postal strikes that are currently doing their best to disrupt the country’s daily deliveries, here’s the round up of this week’s post including a series of lovely books and a few T-shirts. If you were wondering we’re a S and and XL but consistently get sent M, which in theory is the average.

Useful Photography #009

Published by Kessels Kramer Publishing
The ninth, and latest in the Useful Photography series resurrects the beauty within the humble photography manual. Why anyone would need this book is unclear at face value but the instant you pick it up (or any of the previous eight editions) it becomes clear. There is the common dry wit that runs throughout and the attention to detail in producing a genuinely beautiful object justifies the cover price. “Every manner of what can go wrong, and how to correct it, is explored. Yet, aside from telling us how to correct the double-exposed, the poorly lit, the out of focus or the red of eye, the series within also allows us to see that mistakes – as defined by these helpful brochures – have a rare, never to be repeated beauty all of their own.”
www.kesselskramerpublishing.com
www.kkoutlet.com

Illusive. Contemporary Illustration Part 3

Published by Gestalten
It probably isn’t the first time I’ve said it, but Gestalten have got a reputation for producing quality books. Illusive (part 3) is no exception. It’s everything you want from a book on the subject; nice considered images that cover a broad variety of contemporary illustration, laid out in a way that doesn’t conflict the work. Another book that will spend more time off the bookshelf than on it.
www.gestalten.com

Tree Paintings and Bombay Beauties

Published by Kessels Kramer Publishing
Another two books from the KesselsKramer publishing arm. First up is Tree Paintings, a collection of Eric Kessels’ personal pictures (only the second time he’s done so). The images are of trees marked for destruction by loggers, “What’s striking is the amount of variation within these simple tags, how each ‘artist’ stamps the tree with his own unique mark. The overall impression is eerie, as of a strange outdoor gallery lost in the wilderness”. A zine of the highest calibre, the embossed wood effect cover is the icing on the cake.
The second publication is Bombay Beauties (a sequel to Bangkok Beauties) is a collection of found photographs discovered by Erik Kessels in Mumbai. If you’re into portraits of women’s hair this is for you, some bespoke typography from Craig Ward compliments it perfectly.
www.kesselskramerpublishing.com
www.kkoutlet.com

3 Minutes

Published by Designers Against Human Rights Abuse (DAHRA)
3 Minutes is a book you’d have had to of done pretty well to avoid over the last seven days due to the amount of press it’s received (and rightly so). A considered package housing a series of 10 inividually bound booklets, each one a transcribed 3 minute interview describing the 3 minutes that changed somebody’s life directly involved with Tibet. These diverse and extremely powerful interviews were then typographically represented by various designers. 3 Minutes form the second publication from non-profit organisation Designers Against Human Rights Abuse (DAHRA) and the second collaboration between DAHRA and Tibet Relief Fund.
3minutes.dahra.org

Peruse

Designed by Matt Adams
Nottingham Trent design student Matt Adams was kind enough to send us through his first issue of Peruse, a documentation of a recent trip to Venice. Printed using risograph and inkjet methods, it is both well designed and considered, something that runs throughout Matt’s portfolio.
www.mattadamsdesign.com

We Make T-Shirts

We Make T-Shirts, ‘we’ being a group of designers who met in Nottingham, really got into printing designs on shirts and decided to make a company to sell them to people. Salut! the one they kindly sent us is nice, check them out.
www.wemaket-shirts.com

Fuck Off Jonathan from Spotify T-shirt

Designed by Sell! Sell!
Just before sitting down to write this review I noticed this post on Iain Tait’s blog, crackunit.com. I’ve got to say I totally agree with Iain, while I’m sure Jonathan from Spotify takes a fair amount of abuse in offices up and down the country, I’m not sure I want to let people know with it enblazened across my chest.
www.sellsell.co.uk

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About the Author

Will Hudson

Will founded It’s Nice That in 2007 and is now director of the company. Once one of the main contributors to the site, he has stepped back from writing as the business has expanded to become The HudsonBec Group.

will@thehudsonbecgroup.com

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