'Labyrinth' is an adventure through Ton Kraayeveld's network in space and time.
About the book:
The book is with the contributions of Bertus Pieters, Marie Jeanne de Rooij, Niek van Vugt, Madeleine Steigenga, Ge van Steenbergen, and Katja Diallo. Connecting texts from his contributors, the paintings and drawings created by Ton Kraayeveld gaze into the audience, inviting them to enter his world, where time and space are flexible and ‘visual anachronism’ is common sense. Each painting protests against forgetting, in which fragmentation and simultaneity merge. Abstraction and figuration coincide. For Kraayeveld, a painting has to invite the viewer to see it from several perspectives, levels, and interpretations. In his work, audiences can see a shift from literary to more implicit political subject matter that generates a new challenging tension.About the design:
The design of ‘Labyrinth' refers to Ton Kraayeveld's working method, where some paintings' fragments continue on the next page. This act gives readers a feeling that they are walking through Ton's Labyrinth - a unique path from past to present, in which recurring elements are cornerstones of his ideas. The position of the text on the typographical pages reinforces this fact. As the route in the labyrinth continues, the pastel background colors subtly divide the image page into different chapters. The book’s dust jacket presents a work divided into fragments. The title specially designed for this book by Ton consists of three parts that come together on the front cover. When you open the dust jacket, the fragmented work unfolds into an enigmatic whole in which a new typographical game arises. Quotes from the book make their way into the paths of the Labyrinth. The back of the dust jacket displayed all artworks by Ton. At a glance, it is clear that many of his works are related. Following the black line, readers pass through the labyrinth of Kraayeveld’s oeuvre.Still curious about our ideas planted in Labyrinth book design? Journalist Jurjen K. van der Hoek recently publicized a clever yet elaborate article about the visual messages behind Kraayeveld’s Labyrinth. Reading Jurjen’s writing, we - the book’s designers - appreciate the writer’s insights into our design concept and ideas. It is delighted that our visual messages touched Jurjen, integrated with his knowledge about Kraayeveld, and eventually reflected in the article. For us, Jurjen’s writing is an inspirational piece that helped complete our visual stories of Ton Kraayeveld.
Link to the article:
Op reis door tijd met Ton Kraayeveld, om niet te vergeten - Jurjen K. van der HoekColophon
Concept & Compilation Ton Kraayeveld Studio Renate Boere
Authors Katja Diallo Bertus Pieters Marie Jeanne de Rooij Ge van Steenbergen Niek van Vugt & Madeleine Steigenga
Translator Robert van de Walle
Photo credits Manuela Porceddu Fred van Rijen Jørgen M. Snoep Frans van Lent Tom Haartsen Ernst Moritz
Additional photography Ton Kraayeveld
Design Studio Renate Boere
Printing & Binding Oro Grafisch Projectmanagement
Publisher Jap Sam Books
ISBN 978-94-92852-62-5