Over the past ten years, I’ve nurtured a love for digital collage work—creating art from magazines and newspapers of the 40s, 50s, and 60s, and merging it with more contemporary graphic elements. As of late, I’ve been applying these skills to the art of book design, both interior and cover. My approach to designing an eye-catching cover is two fold: I want to create an aesthetic experience that is supplementary to the work within, not just representative, and I also want my designs to be respectful and reflective of the tone of the book.
During my time working with the Publishing Laboratory at UNCW, I created a number of book covers. Refract: An Anthology, was a collection of work from graduating seniors in the BFA program. I worked as the lead designer for the anthology, and, over the course of three weeks, created the above cover spread.
Blur was an essay collection created by a peer in the BFA program. The essays focused on the current issues faced by varying oceanic species resulting from climate change. I wanted to create a piece that was representative of the work within: colorful, slightly ominous, and bold.