subscribe with atom
subscribe with RSSAn image is worth a thousand words, yet – children’s literature aside – picture books are quite rare to come by. Nobrow is a publishing company passionate about illustrated magazines. Its crafty releases sell as collectible works of art. Co-founders Alex Spiro and Sam Arthur join voices to answer jotta’s questions.
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| Nobrow magazine issue 2 'The Jungle' cover (detail), illustrations by Eda Akaltun and Bjorn Rune, Back cover of 'People I've Never Met...' by Nick White (Click any image to enlarge it) | |
As art directors, where do you look for talent?
We look everywhere: in the printed world that surrounds us, in the infinite realm of the internet, exhibitions, blogs, advertising - we are constantly surrounded by visual stimuli of some form or another. Although some web presence is preferable, students, no need to splash out on a full-on website... blogs are free and easy to set up, and the work speaks for itself!
What does collaboration mean to you?
It is the process of nurturing a project from start to finish. It is also investing as much in it as the graphic artist or illustrator we are working with. The project stands or falls, depending on the levels of cooperation and care invested by the individuals working on it.
Why does the limited edition print market matter?
Limited edition prints are important because they democratise the art market. Their presence in public consciousness also has the added benefit of keeping hand made traditions alive in a society more than ever reliant on everything being ephemeral, interactive and digital. These are all wonderful things but we feel there should always be a place for tactile and beautiful objects in our homes and lives.
Who are your customers?
Anyone from illustrators to students, as well as art directors from advertising agencies. And people who simply want to buy tactile and beautifully illustrated printed matter for themselves or as gifts.
Your press is located in the heart of Shoreditch. Do you have any neighbours you'd like to recommend?
We have frequently held exhibitions at Concrete Hermit and Jaguarshoes, both fine establishments holding a regular spade of exhibitions and events that stoke the fire of creativity in the area...
Who do you admire and why?
We are great admirers of Monte Beauchamp and Art Spiegelman, respectively the creatives behind 'Blab!' and 'Raw'. They took risks and produced underground art that defined an era of illustration and graphic image making. And Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast's Push Pin Studios has always been source of inspiration.
What will Nobrow be up to in the next few weeks, months, years?
We have just released a toy - an edition of just fifty copies! We designed it with Ben Newman based on the character in his new comic 'Ouroboros'. We'd love to have the oportunity to do this again - in the mean time we'll be releasing a variety of books and graphic novellas...
Tell us about the Nobrow Flickr competition...
Nobrow magazine is an invitation-only publication yet we were receiving a lot of emails from people who wanted to take part. The competition is a way of reaching out, opening up a brief to everyone!
Enter the competition at www.nobrow.net/flickr-competition
See Nobrow artsts for sale on jottaShop
