KARL FINKE — BUCH NO. 3
In 2017 Ole Wittmann, who is an art historian, discovered a sketch book from the tattooist Karl Finke during his research on the Hamburg tattoo-history. To him the drawings were so obscure and bewildering, that he decided to republish the work of the unknown Karl Finke. The book was designed in collaboration with Sibel Beyer and Jacob Schenck.
The book emphasizes not only Karl Finke’s sketches but also provides the reader with information on the artist and puts his work in an art historical context.
The design distances itself from replicating the original sketch book. We did not want to make a facsimile. Instead we decided to print the image section on a glossy paper making the images super crisp. This allows the reader to examine the images, learning about the original material, not by feeling, but by seeing.
The crocodile leather and the naked card board cover refer to the rough Hamburg Altona vibe from the 1910s and the 1920s, when Karl Finke was living and working there.
KARL FINKE — BUCH NO. 3
In 2017 Ole Wittmann, who is an art historian, discovered a sketch book from the tattooist Karl Finke during his research on the Hamburg tattoo-history. To him the drawings were so obscure and bewildering, that he decided to republish the work of the unknown Karl Finke. The book was designed in collaboration with Sibel Beyer and Jacob Schenck.
The book emphasizes not only Karl Finke’s sketches but also provides the reader with information on the artist and puts his work in an art historical context.
The design distances itself from replicating the original sketch book. We did not want to make a facsimile. Instead we decided to print the image section on a glossy paper making the images super crisp. This allows the reader to examine the images, learning about the original material, not by feeling, but by seeing.
The crocodile leather and the naked card board cover refer to the rough Hamburg Altona vibe from the 1910s and the 1920s, when Karl Finke was living and working there.
© 2020, HOMI – Christian Hofer & Lea Michel