magalleria is a wonderful magazine shop in bath. the last two times i have been there i called in. they also have a number of design books. brighton used to have a similar shop which sadly is no longer there. it’s the kind of place that is very easy to buy presents for my son joel who is a designer. in fact i did do just that last time i was there. but i also got a couple for myself.
the one i thought i’d mention in my round up of books is WHITE MANTM IDENTITY STANDARDS MANUAL. i admit this sounds shocking but it is totally brilliant. it’s a satirical exploration of white male identity and power through developing corporate brand guidelines. i have read a ton of stuff on whiteness but this is honestly the best, easiest read, and most hard hitting. it is close to the bone so perhaps should come with a health warning and could indeed be triggering. there are two epilogues at the end which are really thoughtful short essays. it’s cheap and beautifully designed. you can get a feel for it by looking at the split web page which has a number of spreads from the book.
oli bentley is the author and he is a designer. i have not got it but these northern types looks like an equally brilliant project and it seems he has a letterpress thing going on too! he sounds like an amazing thoughtful artist.
i will mention the other book i bought which i did give to joel as well (i bought two as it turns out) – why graphic culture matters by rick poynor. it’s a collection of essays about art, design, visual communication that are just really thoughtful. years ago i read obey the giant which was about navigating the world of commerce as an artist as i remember. he makes a strong case for the lack of critical thinking in the area of design particularly unlike say film. he explores themes such as navigating commerce vs having something to say, the canon, celebrity, how words and images work together and so on. i like art and design so really enjoyed it on its own terms. but i also found myself pondering how poor other spaces currently are around their openness to critical thinking, especially from critical friends. that’s true for example on any discussion about gaza, it’s true of the church space. it’s a bit niche i admit but i read it cover to cover.