Page 6 - Magazine Karel Martens

At the age of 71, with a career that spans almost half a
century, Karel Martens is active as ever. When I meet
him in his industrious Amsterdam studio at the water last
week, he’s busy reviewing changes to the extended third
edition of Printed Matter\Drukwerk that is soon going to
press and should be available this fall.

Recently you worked with symbols where
the halftone dots are replaced by layers of “I’m not sure if I’m
various vector elements. What caused it? such a brilliant
A birth announcement for my grandson (2002, designer really, but I
Zeno) seems to be a moment in my live that I do like teaching very
start to work with icons. The desire had been much.”
there for some time. Every designer or student
seems to rediscover the crude halftone at some
point, but I’ve always thought how nice it would As a designer who’s work is embedded in
be to create different shapes instead of dots. materials and the practical joy of making,
One of the reasons why Printed Matter is how do you relate to that?
such a popular book must be the fact that I think the ideal would be a mixture of the two.
you’re so generous sharing your working Originally, I’m not a real intellectual. In that sen-
process and project backgrounds. se, Wigger (Bierma, co-founder of Werkplaats
Well, I don’t know… I’m not sure if I’m such a Typografie) clearly represents the word. Armand
brilliant designer really, but I do like teaching. Mevis, who currently teaches at WT) also is a
What I mean is that although the book is doer and an important engine for WT. We just
of course a beautiful object with lots of ap- finished the annual selection process, where
pealing pictures, it requires a serious time out of 125 applicants we admitted 9 students for
investment from the reader to really get into the next year. We’re looking at how this group is
the dense layers of information. In a way, the composed, and are trying to create a good balan-
reader is invited to study. ce between the workers and theoretians.
You should know that this is merely to the Look, design or maybe life itself is about
merit of editor and designer Jaap van Triest, questioning the traditions. If you’re making a
who’s books are always full of information. bookcover, you have to relate to all bookcovers
Of course I contributed my share of time that have been made before. To students I often
and energy, but the concept is Jaap’s say, try to act as if you don’t know what a book is,
Recently in Dutch design education, there’s like you’ve never seen a bookcover before. Ask
been a strong focus on intellectual aspects. yourself, what kind of thing is that? Does it have