bill traylor book
CON
CEP
TION
To create an art book for an exhibition about the life of Bill Traylor had to be done with care. He was an American folk artist that was born into slavery and spent the majority of his life homeless. In the last decade of his life, he began to draw his daily observations on any material he could find. He died in 1949 with no recognition. It was only in the 1980s when people began to care for his work, but that ignorance towards him should never be forgotten.
PRO
CESS
Bill Traylor had been looked down on by the art community his entire life. To put his work in museums 30 years after his death, while being a great thing, is still sad because he never got the recognition he deserved in his own lifetime. It feels disingenuous to me. In my book design, I wanted to highlight how forgotten he was for those 30 odd years (and in his own life). As much as I was excited to showcase his incredible art, I knew that Bill Traylor himself, and his story had to be the main focus.
Evo
lution
By creating a slipcase with an obscured window, I wanted the reader to “uncover” Bill Traylor, his art, and his story for themselves. The physical interaction between the reader, the book, and Bill Traylor was most important to me. I learned to successfully balance the line of creating this intimate reading experience while still highlighting how incredible and influential his work is.
