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Theseus Chan 陳益
WERK No. 20 : Ginza : The Extremities Of The Printed Matter WERK第20期：銀座 印刷的極致
copyright 2012
Singapore-based designer Theseus Chan founded his creative consultancy WORK in 1997, after working in advertising for a decade. WERK magazine, launched in 2000, is a self-published venture that grew out of his desire to experiment more freely with print production processes than he could in typical client projects. Titled ‘The Extremities of the Printed Matter’, issue 20 of WERK is a self-reflexive survey of the magazine’s history, exploring the wide variety of experimental methods and techniques used to produce earlier issues. It coincided with an exhibition on the magazine at the Ginza Graphic Gallery, a Tokyo institution dedicated to exhibiting contemporary graphic design. Each cover of the issue is folded, torn, or crumpled in a unique fashion, making intentional design features from errors that can occur in mechanical printing and packaging. The issues are also stained with inks and oils from the printing process, lending a multisensory dimension to the object that further evokes the techniques and materials of print media.
With a small print run and a loose editorial mission of presenting the work of other designers and artists, WERK takes heavy inspiration from street art and the history of DIY graphics. Chan describes his design process as ‘organic’, unfolding without predetermined outcomes. Often incorporating recycled or handmade elements to create a multilayered, highly textured object, WERK draws attention to the sensory properties of printed matter.
With a small print run and a loose editorial mission of presenting the work of other designers and artists, WERK takes heavy inspiration from street art and the history of DIY graphics. Chan describes his design process as ‘organic’, unfolding without predetermined outcomes. Often incorporating recycled or handmade elements to create a multilayered, highly textured object, WERK draws attention to the sensory properties of printed matter.
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