IN THE LAND OF PUNCTUATION - Christian Morgenstern
This unique, beautifully illustrated and screenprinted handmade book is all about language, design and politics.
It was purchased by us from an independent publisher Tara books who are based in Chennai India and specialise in the local and sustainable production of books. Handmade titles such as this book are printed and bound in Taras in-house fairtrade print shop called AMM Screens whose motto is ‘nothing is impossible’.
For 16 years, Tara books have often collaborated with illustrator Rathna Ramanathan. Ramanathan has taken this book written by German author Christian Morgenstern and alongside Sirish Rao, the duo have translated it into a highly visual, typographical version.
Rathna Ramanathan comments that:
‘Influences have been, amongst other things, the structures and
rigour of letterpress and metal type, Russian posters of the 1920s and
1930s, the work of Werkman and modernists such as Weingart.
The look right now is flat and graphic – but this is the artwork. I envision the printed version as having uneven texture. Also, as with letterpress, if the black is printed first and the red after, then both layers should be visible’
It’s refreshing to see such an organic and hands on approach to the art of book making.
