Dot Dot Dot magazine

Murray GM January 16, 2015

This is Dot Dot Dot or ... or maybe even ellipsis. It's the first issue of a graphic design journal started in 2000 that ran until January 2011. It was the brainchild of Peter Biľak and Stuart Bailey and as Peter puts it, it was an "after-hours magazine, originally centred around graphic design, later broadening in scope to interdisciplinary journalism" more here on Peter's site.

This first addition has an introduction by Max Bruinsma and is linked the Jan van Eyck Akademie, Maastrict. A school that had some interesting people and programmes, especially around socially aware design and the European ideal. This issue is almost a meta discourse as it concentrates on Graphic Design Journals, featuring pieces on Emigré, Eye, Form + Zweck and Octavo. I particularly like the 'Encyclopædia of Graphic Design Periodicals' which is also featured on the back cover.

Here's a link to an excellent new magazine from Peter Bil'ak: Works That Work Magazine

Semiotext(e) Architecture

Murray GM January 15, 2015

This is Semiotext(e) Architecture from 1992. It's a massive (44x28 cm) landscape orientated collection of essays, experiments and ideas focussed on design, architecture and theory. I included the shot with my feet just to show it's size when opened. Totally unmanageable and doesn't fit on any of my bookshelves - which makes me love it even more.

I have three books from the independent publisher Semiotext(e); Architecture, USA and Radio - but this is visually the richest. It's a black and white production, which emphasises the dark and dirty style of the era and also makes it feel very underground and almost fanzine like. It's full on 'cult of the ugly' stuff and touches on the design for designers trend of the time, but also is very reflective of the DIY culture vibe (more here). For me this isn't the greatest piece graphic design but the variety of the content, the scale and the richness of the textures makes it rather special.

The first thing I bought from Newspaper Club

Murray GM January 5, 2015

Here's another gem from the cellar that deserves to see the light of day. It's the very psychogeographically inspired Immanent in the Manifold City from James Bridle. There's more than a touch of 'pataphysics at play here too, with the "manual of operation" enabling you to "form an instrument for investigating ubiquity". It's a wonderful weaving of the historical into a new narrative around place and time. A lovely piece.

It's self published through the Newspaper Club. The club (really simply a service) enables anyone to create and distribute there own newspapers on glorious newsprint. Perfect for small runs and events. Great service and idea, more proof that print is not dead, as through technology it's becoming more accessible. Beats the hell out of trying to self publish on the photocopier or only digitally. Some things need to be held as much as read.

Follow James on twitter @jamesbridle

Find out more about the brilliant Newspaper Club

20 years ago this month - I-D Magazine (issue 136)

Murray GM January 1, 2015

I held on to this issue of I-D magazine from January 1995 mainly because it featured people I knew back then, but also because my vanity got the better of me (you can see a poster I designed in the background of one of the photographs). I hadn't seen it for years and was struck by the fact it's 20 years old this month, so thought it deserved seeing the light of day once more.

What's interesting is that it's the 'future' issue and all about 'cyberspace' and tech. I've have a sneaky feeling that even when this was fresh off the presses, 'cyberspace' was already a clichéd term. However there are a couple of good pieces as the angle is nice and dark, featuring Scanner (@robinrimbaud) and the Underground crew (Matt and Graham).

Fairly prescient stuff: "The threat exists that our communication will be exploited in ways we cannot yet imagine"

The tech gadgets and ads are funny as so of the time, pagers are a big thing and that Bicardi ad is a stereogram!