28.2.11

For Your Inspiration: Marian Bantjes

This past fall I attended a conference featuring speaker Marian Bantjes, a Canadian typographer, designer, artist and writer. I first learned of her from TED Talks, where she was classified under graphic design (a topic my eye is always keen to).


Her talk was similar in format and content to what I had previously seen - showing lots of work, old and new, as well as pushing the sale of her book "I Wonder". Generally I dislike these types of ego boosting/sales pitch talks, but her style, philosophy and "wonderment" stayed with me. I found myself reflecting on what she had to say - not only in her words, but in her style of visual communication. There is something quite intriguing and essentially human in her obsessive patterns and handwork, organic swirls, the flourishes and ornamentation. Her emotional approach to design draws you in, by combining formality and structure with an organic fluidity.


So I might originally have scoffed at those attendees who raced to buy her book at the shop outside the theatre (they actually sold out), however weeks later - here I am, with my own copy from amazon.com, which now sits centre stage on my coffee table.





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