Starred Review. Today, notes contributor Jim Datz in his intro, drawing patterns with the fallible human hand is an art perched at the treacherous meeting place of authentic human craftsmanship and a world largely defined by trendsetting and online consumption: ideas, "almost at the moment they begin, are lifted, collated, named, and marketed in a willful act of pattern recognition by today's cultural curators." Though many of the patterns collated here were designed for commercial purposes (turned into t-shirts, skate boards and other product by hip designers), they make a strong impression as art-for-art's sake. As Datz further notes, "we are pattern seeking animals," and these selections are strangely gratifying, sometimes even meditative. Many designers share the aesthetic of popular contributor Jeremyville, clearly influenced by graffiti, cartoons and Keith Haring; others, like Deanne Cheuk, opt for retro colors and a hint of kitsch. Artists like Mario Hugo and Kirk Hiatt show a sparse, modernist approach, while Dan Funderburgh creates traditional floral wallpaper designs tweaked with, say, fire hydrants and parking meters. This makes a fitting following up to Perry's well-received catalog of hand-drawn letters, Hand Job; not only does this fun roundup help define a growing subgenre, it's also a rousing introduction to more than 50 young artists.
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Demanding a close inspection of every page, the catalog naturally encourages numerous reads and designers of all facets are sure to be coerced into tearing free the pages and tacking them to inspiration boards...The strength in all the work in
Over and Over comes from the innovation and excitement of the artists making it. --AmericanCraftMag.org, July 2008
Some images are engaging, like Maxwell Paternoster's mélange of digital machinery and Lung's doodle patterns, which look as if they were made with colored ballpoint pens while the artist was waiting for the caffeine to wear off. Others are delightfully silly, like Jeremyville's pattern of buzzing bees suckling compliant flowers. The common denominator in all these designs is complexity, which Datz suggests may be a "response to a decade of restraint, when a strain of austere Swiss modernism rose up to dominate the design world" -- although I could have sworn that was 20 years ago. --New York Times Book Review, July 27 2008
With only a brief flip through the 256 pages that make up Mike Perry's new "
Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns," the reader is hit with a mountain of eye candy. As Perry's follow up to his critically acclaimed
Hand Job: A Catalog of Type,
Over and Over presents a jumble of colorful fragments from 50 of today's most exploratory pattern makers.
The strength in all the work in Over and Over comes from the innovation and excitement of the artists making it. Like most creative pursuits, as Perry points out, "Sometimes they [patterns] are the end result, and sometimes they are just the beginning." The open-endedness of this statement--and in turn, the entire book--is what makes it so much fun. --American Craft, July 24 2008
"Last week i had the opportunity to meet with a designer that im a big fan of, mike perry. mike runs his own studio out of brooklyn where he designs for clients such as urban outfitters, the new york times magazine, and zoo york. he has also published two books: hand job, a book about hand-drawn typography, and over & over, a catalog of hand-drawn patterns..." -- Samantha Huba --Design Sponge
"Today, notes contributor Jim Datz in his intro, drawing patterns with the fallible human hand is an art perched at the treacherous meeting place of authentic human craftsmanship and a world largely defined by trendsetting and online consumption: ideas, "almost at the moment they begin, are lifted, collated, named, and marketed in a willful act of pattern recognition by today's cultural curators." Though many of the patterns collated here were designed for commercial purposes (turned into t-shirts, skate boards and other product by hip designers), they make a strong impression as art-for-art's sake. As Datz further notes, "we are pattern seeking animals," and these selections are strangely gratifying, sometimes even meditative. Many designers share the aesthetic of popular contributor Jeremyville, clearly influenced by graffiti, cartoons and Keith Haring; others, like Deanne Cheuk, opt for retro colors and a hint of kitsch. Artists like Mario Hugo and Kirk Hiatt show a sparse, modernist approach, while Dan Funderburgh creates traditional floral wallpaper designs tweaked with, say, fire hydrants and parking meters. This makes a fitting following up to Perry's well-received catalog of hand-drawn letters, Hand Job; not only does this fun roundup help define a growing subgenre, it's also a rousing introduction to more than 50 young artists." --Publishers Weekly
"Perry curated both books(Handjob and Over and Over), meaning he chose all the projects presented in them. While Hand Job introduces hand drawn typography by various graphic designers, Over & Over has accumulated pattern designs by more than 50 designers, the large majority of whom Mike Perry knows personally. There is a reason why the books are devoted to designing by hand, and this is because Perry himself also draws, paints or prints logos, fonts and illustrations without resorting to digital tools wherever possible." -- Katharina Altemeier --Form Magazine
"You may already know Mike Perry from Hand Job, a collection of you guessed it hand-drawn typography, but with Over & Over: A Catalog of Hand-drawn Patterns, the pen-and-paper-obsessed artist makes his editorial debut." -- Nik Mercer --Anthem Magazine
"Pattern can be derived from many sources if we remember to look closely. While patterns have been around forever there's a recent movement a tendency among designers to allow patterns to animate their work with colorful and exuberant complexity. Over and Over: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns collects groundbreaking work from fifty of today's most talented designers who create patterns by hand and use them in their work in inventive and innovative ways. From Deanne Cheuk's patterns that adorn current fashion to those of Robin Cameron that explore her interest in art to Garrett Morin's patterns that arose from an exercise for a character called Eloie the examples in this book push the boundaries of the traditional concept of what a pattern is. The selected works are often not an end result but the beginning of something else of something bigger and broader. While the computer is sometimes involved in the production of patterns the hand-drawn element is always evident in the uniqueness of these works. Featuring more than 250 vibrant and exciting patterns Over and Over explores this magic on every single page and will inspire designers everywhere." -- Jaeden --Books-Design Blog
"The catalogue explores a huge range of patterns; some using black and white, while others are created with a hypnotic amount of colour. The subject matter ranges from some child-like, simple shapes to highly sophisticated and detailed pieces. Whilst viewing such an array of different kinds of hand-drawn patterns, it derives a different sense of appreciation. By making the reader more aware of the origin of the work, you can further acknowledge and appreciate the amount of time these designers/artists have spent on creating these pieces, without the help (or too much help) from technology.Overall, the most exciting thing about the catalogue is the small hand-made errors, that can be seen if viewed carefully. Most often these are caused by the designers slip of the hand whilst laboring over a monotonous and complex pattern. These unique errors in the designs are something only capable of achieving by stepping away from the computer, and add character and personality to each piece.Over and Over is a refreshing take on viewing design today; a view of something different, away from the graffiti, vector, street art styles." -- Caroline McCurdy --DG Design Magazine
"While patterns have been around forever, there's a recent movement among younger designers to allow patterns to animate their work with colorful and exuberant complexity. OVER AND OVER: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns collects groundbreaking work from fifty of today's most talented designers who create patterns by hand and use them in their work in inventive and innovative ways." --The Statement
"A range of exciting bespoke experiments that blur the lines between illustration and typography." --Dwell
"Patterns can be found everywhere. whether they are intentional or accidental, patterns have been around forever. the computer in particular has made the design of pattern much easier with special digital programs designed specifically for this purpose. however, there has been a recent influx of designers who have resisted this new technology and continue to use their good old pencil and paper to execute their graphic and pattern designs.Known for his own hand-drawn approach to graphic design, mike perry first published his book 'hand job', an anthology of his typography and graphics he has completed over the last number of years. now he has turned the spotlight on fifty of today's most talented designers who create patterns by hand and apply their imagery in new ways. 'over & 'over, is a catalog of these designers and their works which challenge the traditional notions of pattern and image making. it includes work by deanne cheuk who applies her designs to fashion, martin cibola whose drawings are used in ceramics and robin cameron whose work explores her interests in art.The book features over 250 vibrant patterns and reminds us of the beautiful qualities of hand-drawing, something which has been lost in our digital age." --Design Boom
"Michael Perry's compendium of hand-drawn type points to the continued relevance of the human touch in modern communication." --American Craft
"The pure diversity presented in Over & Over is mind boggling with 55 artists and designers each getting at least 2 pages of a uncoated stock to present their work. The paper itself helps to reiterates the notion of working by hand well." -- PJ Smith --Acclaim Magazine
