This is the third post in small series of previously unpublished short essays to feature a selection of objects that have served as inspiration for designers. Each item would have about 150 or so words written to describe them and what inspiration they provided. The book unfortunately didn’t get published, and I thought it’d be great to share some of the shorts in a series of posts here on our Bulletin.

3.

Another uncle-in-law gave me a good amount of this beautiful French magazine. The issues range in date from the 50s to 60s and were originally his parents’, whom had a subscription when they lived in France. Completely in French, the magazine primarily covered contemporary art of the time. 

While each issue may have a full color cover combined with a few pages inside, it is primarily an exercise in two color design. Layouts typically include black and white photography with an accent of one contrasting color. 

Many things inspire me regularly about them—from the art covered within, to the gallery advertisements using only black text, to the patina the pages have acquired with age. The covers simply have the magazine title and full bleeding art, and nothing else.  

For me, the magazine marks a time that maybe culture wasn’t quite as literal as it is now and a little mystery was welcome.