Art Book Review: Print & Pattern by Bowie Styles

Print & Pattern by Bowie Styles

Published: 24th March 2010 by Laurence King Publishers
Genre: Design / Art
Page Count: 304
Format: Paperback
Source: University Library / Gifted to me

Synopsis: Pattern is everywhere. Years of minimalism have been superseded by a riot of color and shape, whether on walls, fabrics, clothes, or signage. Print & Pattern is a visual celebration of contemporary surface design. 

Compiled by the creator of the cult blog of the same name (http://printpattern.blogspot.com/), this book documents the work of the best surface designers from around the world and features products that have been embellished with a surface print or pattern, including graphics, cards, gift wrap, stationery, textiles, ceramics, badges, stickers, and wallpaper.

As well as successful commercial designs, the book also showcases previously unseen pattern designs from designers' portfolios. Accessible but with a cool edge, the book will appeal to surface designers, graphic designers, designer-makers and craftspeople, illustrators, and fashion and textile designers.

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon UK* / Amazon US / B&N / TBD*

Bowie Styles: Website | Goodreads

*When purchasing through this link, I will receive a small amount, once I have enough saved up I will put it towards a giveaway.

Review: 

5 / 5 stars

I borrowed a copy of Print & Pattern from the library at my University, for a task to get us used to the library system and to write a book review. They suggested this task would take up to three hours but of course I didn't have to figure out how to use a library and writing a review wasn't all that challenging.

However the review we had to write had to answer certain questions and before a certain date, meaning I wrote the review for class after only reading half the book. So if you notice that some of this review doesn't follow my usual writing style its because I've combined the task review and my own review of the second half together to get the following.

Hopefully it fits together okay.

Print & Pattern is a collection of surface pattern designers, illustrators and graphic designers work that features patterns, prints or has been later made and sold as a surface pattern design (eg. clothing, stationary, cards).

Many of the work within the book has been featured on Bowie Styles' website first, which I really enjoyed browsing in my spare time and followed too.

Whilst a lot of the work stands out to me as interesting or inspiring I noticed a lot of it is more tailored towards a more feminine audience, which didn't bother me too much as I am of course a girl and can appreciate feminine designs, however many were simply too feminine for me to appreciate so I did further research into some of these designers as well as others that took my fancy.

I also got my own copy for Christmas so I hope to do a more relaxed browse of the book this year and maybe do a follow up post sharing some of my favourite pages.