Studio Job: The Book of Job / Job Smeets, Nynke Tynagel, Viktor & Rolf, Alessandro Mendini, Murray Moss

Playing off of what some see as the near-biblical intensity of Studio Job’s oeuvre, this monograph, their first, is titled The Book of Job. The lavish package resembles a traditional leather-bound bible featuring a number of custom-printing effects including raised bands on the spine of the hardcover case which is covered in imitation leather overlaid with a dense signature composition by Studio Job, gilded page edges, cloth markers, black-letter type, and letterpress elements that distinguish the book from the conventional treatment of design monographs.  Further, the slip-cased book is two-in-one with Studio Job on one side, and then on the flip side, the biblical The Book of Job, complete with illustrated illuminations.

Themes present in the biblically inspired The Book of Job are echoed in the organization of the volume, translating the formal wit of Studio Job partners Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel’s work into print.  Interior spreads, including photographs taken expressly for the book, and gatefold tableaux specifically designed by the artists and created using special dies, will provides rare insight into Studio Job’s particular approach to design and pattern-making, resulting in a highly collectible and rarified book.
 
The award-winning furniture and art objects designed by Smeets and Tynagel bring a monumental sensibility to contemporary industrial design, leavened with unapologetic wit and romance. Celebrated in design and art fairs from Milan to Miami, and featured in the permanent collections of important museums, the pair’s creations—from sculpture to graphic design—have attracted a cult following among the cognoscenti.  Studio Job’s work is drawn from an artistic tradition that infuses everyday objects with grand historical themes, and these inspirational sources have been harnessed to create an unprecedented volume embodying the process of these designers.