The outspoken and rebellious Wyndham Lewis (1882–1957) was a radical force in British art and literature. He was an ascerbic satirist and leader of the British avant-garde art movement Vorticism, and his achievements won him the plaudits of the writer TS Eliot and the painter Augustus John, among others. His work has inspired countless cultural figures, from the sculptor Henry Moore to the singer David Bowie.
The design of Imperial War Museum (IWM) North by Daniel Libeskind conveys the unsettling nature of war, so it is fitting to stage this major exhibition there. Based on a shattered globe of the world, the fragmented architecture perfectly houses Lewis’s depictions of figures caught within conflict or in a shattered postwar world.
Budgets and predicted visitor spend could not support a lavish catalogue so the challenge was to make it an attractive publication, with an accessible cover price. High-quality colour repro was key for the success of this large-format paperback.
As exhibition books usually go to press before loans are installed, colour correcting images against actual works is often not possible. Images supplied by third parties are not always of a high standard and an experienced visual eye is critical. By getting a feel for the artist’s palette, based on those images where you do have the original works, you can sense when colours don’t ring true. But it is never an exact science.
What would tempt a die-hard fan who is likely to have read the existing literature on the artist to purchase the IWM publication?
Richard Slocombe, the curator of the extensive IWM art collection, delivered an excellent text, conceived from Lewis’s responses to war. I then approached Paul Edwards, the chair of the Wyndham Lewis Memorial Trust, to see if he would write a preface. Edwards was supportive of the book and show, and wrote a piece positioning Lewis within the context of 20th-century art history.
On-site museum purchases occur mostly after people have visited the exhibition. They are going well, and this is testament to the level of engagement inspired by the show, as well as the appeal of this book’s format and strong cover design.
Talking from experience, debates concerning exhibition catalogue and exhibition marketing can be tense. It is generally felt that there should
be synergy between the two, but sometimes achieving this can be tricky.
For Lewis, the IWM design team developed a strong visual identity, incorporating a photograph of the artist looking dapper, cigarette in hand, against a backdrop of Vorticist shapes in black and red. It happened to also work perfectly as the book cover.
Feedback indicates that people like these sorts of catalogues to be more than simply exhibition books – they want them to also function as a standalone publication. So far, sales have been good.
The bold decision was taken not to stock other titles on Lewis in the shop. Postcards and tote bags are the only other exhibition merchandise, allowing a greater focus on the catalogue.
Our approach might seem maverick to some, but then Lewis is a suitably nonconformist vehicle with which to be so. In his autobiography, Blasting and Bombadiering, Lewis wrote: “I have been called a rogue elephant, a cannibal shark and a crocodile. I am none the worse. I remain a caged, and rather sardonic, lion in a particularly contemptible and ill-run zoo.”
Miranda Harrison is the special projects manager at IWM Publishing.
Wyndham Lewis: Life, Art, War is at IWM North, Manchester, until 1 January 2018
The design of Imperial War Museum (IWM) North by Daniel Libeskind conveys the unsettling nature of war, so it is fitting to stage this major exhibition there. Based on a shattered globe of the world, the fragmented architecture perfectly houses Lewis’s depictions of figures caught within conflict or in a shattered postwar world.
Budgets and predicted visitor spend could not support a lavish catalogue so the challenge was to make it an attractive publication, with an accessible cover price. High-quality colour repro was key for the success of this large-format paperback.
As exhibition books usually go to press before loans are installed, colour correcting images against actual works is often not possible. Images supplied by third parties are not always of a high standard and an experienced visual eye is critical. By getting a feel for the artist’s palette, based on those images where you do have the original works, you can sense when colours don’t ring true. But it is never an exact science.
What would tempt a die-hard fan who is likely to have read the existing literature on the artist to purchase the IWM publication?
Richard Slocombe, the curator of the extensive IWM art collection, delivered an excellent text, conceived from Lewis’s responses to war. I then approached Paul Edwards, the chair of the Wyndham Lewis Memorial Trust, to see if he would write a preface. Edwards was supportive of the book and show, and wrote a piece positioning Lewis within the context of 20th-century art history.
On-site museum purchases occur mostly after people have visited the exhibition. They are going well, and this is testament to the level of engagement inspired by the show, as well as the appeal of this book’s format and strong cover design.
Talking from experience, debates concerning exhibition catalogue and exhibition marketing can be tense. It is generally felt that there should
be synergy between the two, but sometimes achieving this can be tricky.
For Lewis, the IWM design team developed a strong visual identity, incorporating a photograph of the artist looking dapper, cigarette in hand, against a backdrop of Vorticist shapes in black and red. It happened to also work perfectly as the book cover.
Feedback indicates that people like these sorts of catalogues to be more than simply exhibition books – they want them to also function as a standalone publication. So far, sales have been good.
The bold decision was taken not to stock other titles on Lewis in the shop. Postcards and tote bags are the only other exhibition merchandise, allowing a greater focus on the catalogue.
Our approach might seem maverick to some, but then Lewis is a suitably nonconformist vehicle with which to be so. In his autobiography, Blasting and Bombadiering, Lewis wrote: “I have been called a rogue elephant, a cannibal shark and a crocodile. I am none the worse. I remain a caged, and rather sardonic, lion in a particularly contemptible and ill-run zoo.”
Miranda Harrison is the special projects manager at IWM Publishing.
Wyndham Lewis: Life, Art, War is at IWM North, Manchester, until 1 January 2018
