Spring 2023
Simon Johnston, Rob Ball, Nina Holland, Michael Sans, Lavinia Lascaris
Graphic Design and Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography (HMCT)
The Presence of Absence, ArtCenter Berlin’s Spring Studio 2023 explored the study and interconnectedness of figure and ground and the spaces between objects, buildings or design elements. The concepts of negative space, nothingness, the void, interval and background are a common concern in all creative disciplines. Students learned to appreciate the use of white space, of interval that is not just accidental or arbitrary but an integral component in the creative process, whether working in 2 or 3 dimensions.
Our theme encompassed a wide range: in architecture, the volume and sensibility of internal spaces; in interiors and product design, ergonomics and body related decisions; in graphics and typography, the subdivision of space, grids, composition, leading and kerning; in fine art, the themes of space, time and emptiness.
Working with the offset lithography printing facilities and expertise of Nina Holland, at Little Steidl Press, was a highlight of the studio. Students traveled to Göttingen once a week to experiment on Nina’s press and learn her ‘hands on’ process of printing and type exploration.
The studio culminated in an exhibition at HMCT in Pasadena, that featured the remarkable work from Little Steidl as well as student’s individual studio projects that delved into of the Presence of Absence in Berlin.
Little Steidl Press seeks to expand the artistic potential of offset lithography as a creative print medium. The publishing house follows a traditional work model in which all aspects of book development, design, and production, including printing, are carried out in its own bookmaking workshop in Göttingen, Germany.