It Is Beautiful...Then Gone

by Martin Venezky

Martin Venezky is not your typical point-and-click designer. While he is adept at operating a mouse, he is just as comfortable cutting and pasting type from old books or collaging found signs or making his own photographs. What results are the unique creations of a unique eye. And with this eye and his design firm, Appetite Engineers, Venezky has created beautiful and influential work for Speak and Open magazines, the Sundance Film Festival, Reebok, and numerous publishers and institutions.
It Is Beautiful...Then Gone presents Venzky's commercial design work as well as new graphic work created for the book; details of the wall collage that define his office and his aesthetic; the singular photography, collections, and notebooks that define his personality; and text that explains -- or at least questions -- it all. Venezky's philosophy that life and design are a continuation of each other permeates this elegant book filled with hundreds of idiosyncratic, deeply wrought examples.

Genres: Design, Art, Art Design, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Willow Lezcano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin Venezky has been a design inspiration of mine since college. This book was given to me by my father as a present and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. I have been in a poetry and prose phase as of late and this book read similarly. Design is visual poetry.

[Cassidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing if somewhat disconnected collection of work focussing on eclectic magazine design and photography.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic view into a designer's process and has helped me enormously to think outside the box for ideas. Nothing like seeing someone's curiosity right out there on the page. Very delicious not to mention fun and beautiful.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin is a friend of mine and a really amazing designer. I feel privileged to know him and I highly recommend this retrospective of his design work.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is my most beloved design book. venezky's work is constant inspiration. the insight into his process provided in this book is invaluable.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

hands down one of the best monographs by a contemporary american designer, with one of the best essays about how one designs. and he's a delightful person in real life. what more can you ask for?