An ode to colour, rhythm and softness
Over the past ten years, American artist Heidi Howard has been working on a unique body of work: portraits and murals bursting with energy, intuition and emotion. Together with graphic designer Mikel Orfanos, she poured that work into Colors make us do vibrant deeds!, a monograph that reads like a visual journey through her life, studios and encounters.
For Buroform, the assignment felt like a gift: translating an experimental artist’s palette into printed matter that feels as light, free and uninhibited as the paintings themselves. The result was rewarded with a place in De Best Verzorgde Boeken 2024 (The Best Dutch Book Designs 2024).
Object
Monograph
Printing techniques
LE-UV offset
Finishing
Swiss binding with front and rear flaps
Paper
Cover: Munken Polar 240 g/m²
Interior: Opakal 60 g/m²
Mikel Orfanos’ design is based on one central idea: colour as an organising principle. It is not the text or the chronology of the works, but their shades that determine the order of the images. Subtly blending colour fields give the book a rhythm that takes the reader through Howard’s world.
On top of that, a continuous colour spectrum appears on the edges: a playful statement that perfectly reflects the artist’s personal visual language.
With its 424 pages, the monograph looks monumental, but thanks to the ultra-thin Opakal paper, it feels remarkably light, thin and supple in the hand. The transparency of that paper called for flawless image construction and a sophisticated printing profile. This creates a layering that fits in wonderfully with Howard’s way of painting: colours that touch, overlap and challenge each other.
The Swiss binding method ensures that the book opens effortlessly and that the works are given plenty of space. The flaps in the cover reinforce that feeling of freedom of movement: you really open the book, as Howard himself once described it. Handwritten notes, personal finds and small reliefs in the structure create an intimate, almost diary-like atmosphere.
For Buroform, the challenge lay in striking a balance between technical precision and Howard’s playful character. The saturated use of colour, the transparency of the paper and the successive shades required meticulous lithography and a particularly even ink build-up.
Every spread had to come to life. This careful approach has now also been recognised externally with a place in De Best Verzorgde Boeken 2024 (The Best Designed Books 2024): a wonderful confirmation of the collaboration between artist, designer and printer.
