Barbara Martin - Designing Bukowski (1 Viewer)

[LickTheStar]

Well thanks to chronic's awesome website collectingbukowski.com those of us who don't have a complete collection of Charles Bukowski are able to check out the look of damn near every book Buk released, under Black Sparrow Press and elsewhere.

So my question is this: does anyone know where Barbara Martin took her influence and inspiration in regards to the designs of the BSP stuff? It appears to be generally a lot of abstract illustrations with sans-serif font (and honestly, who doesn't love a good sans font?).

The book Front Cover by Alan Powers has a two page spread on the BSP and the brief quote from Barbara Martin states that Percy Wyndham Lewis was an influence (I have cursory knowledge of who he is). I'm curious if anyone else recognizes the BSP\Martin style and knows if it has its roots anywhere else.

Also, while I'm at it... Did Bukowski pick out all the titles to his books and poems? I thought Uncle Howard's bio stated that he picked many of them, but I'm having trouble picking out that quote at the moment.

Thanks guys!

 

[planahea]

Barbara Martin is an untrained artist with an enormous natural talent for design, books being one major element of that design talent. John Martin published/reprinted close to the entire oeuvre of Wyndham Lewis books, some 25 of his works. One only has to look at the Lewis designs in his own books like the Blast series or The Enemy volumes to see the artistic influence he has on Barbara's work as a book designer. Lewis is credited with being one of the originators of the vorticism literary and art movement of his period. Here is the Wyndham Lewis Society website that may be helpful:

http://www.time-space.net/wynlewis/

Whatever discussions there may have been between Buk & John re title negotiations may be known only to John. I never had a conversation with John on that subject or seen anything in print.

This is only a tidbit of help, but may lead you down other roads of inquiry.

 

[chronic]

Barbara Martin is an untrained artist with an enormous natural talent for design, books being one major element of that design talent.

Her work may not be groundbreaking but it's always good, attractive and solid stuff. She usually tends to follow a formula based on (and maybe starting with) well chosen color combinations. You can also see where she's had different stylistic periods... very abstract and reliant on typography most of the time but periodically more lyrical or illustrative.

It seems there's not much information publicly available about Barbara Martin, at least that I've been able to track down. Bill's quote is about as informative a comment as any I've seen about her. I'm impressed that she's self-taught. I'd really like to put some sort of bio about her on collectingbukowski.com, since she's responsible for a huge percentage of the non-periodical cover artwork used on the site, but I just don't have any information. I'd like to learn more about her.

 

[hank solo]

Wasn't there was an article about Barbara Martin in Print magazine? Perhaps that would say more... anyone got a copy handy?

 

[bospress.net]

Hi,
I have one and you can find them on ebay. If I remember, they were $20 new in the store, so I waited and got one on ebay for much less.

Search under "Print Barbara Martin" and you should find it. I thought that I scanned the article at some point.


Bill

 

[hank solo]

I thought that I scanned the article at some point.

I don't think so. You posted about reading it before. I've looked on ebay from time to time but haven't seen one.

 

[LickTheStar]

I have one and you can find them on ebay. If I remember, they were $20 new in the store, so I waited and got one on ebay for much less.
Search under "Print Barbara Martin" and you should find it. I thought that I scanned the article at some point.l

Good info to have! And thanks for the link planahea.

I ask because I'm seriously considering abandoning my plans to go back to school to get a job with one of the small time publishers here in Portland (assuming it would pay the rent, of course) and most of my graphic design work up to this point has been heavily influenced by Barbara Martin's work.

So, we'll see.

 

[Ponder]

There is also an article in: Charles Bukowski, a Beat Scene Special, (2004.)
Page 50 & 51: The Artwork of Barbara Martin. © Dawn Swoop.