Brief: Design a book so that it’s form is reflective of it’s content.
This story centres around the themes of loss and irreversible damage as I write about my brother, who is slowly losing his eyesight due to a genetic degenerative condition for which there is currently no cure.
The burlap material, onto which the story is printed, frays continuously as it is handled, resulting in the complete and irreversible destruction of the book, reflecting the condition of my brother’s eyesight.
Brief: Design a tattoo magazine which makes the tattoo industry more approachable.
The magazine's clean and modern aesthetic helps to separate the industry from its grungy past and the negative stereotypes associated with tattooing.
It showcases only small tattoos, presenting the industry in a less intimidating fashion than when people with large pieces of ink-work are shown. Each tattoo is paired with a story about the design and its relevance to that person. These personal stories help to humanise the industry and create a relatable situation for the reader. They emphasise the extent to which tattoos have developed over the past decade and how personal the tattoo designs, and the act of getting tattooed, have become.
The magazine also includes a section that aims to challenge the myths and assumed risks associated with tattooing. This section introduces local tattoo artists and provides an insight into how to go about getting your first tattoo, encouraging novices into the industry.
This magazine is available to buy
If you are interested in purchasing a copy please email me at hello@sarahcrookes.com with a delivery address.
£10 each.
Brief: Create a photo book which explores the emotion of grief.
I chose to explore grief through images of the sea. The close-up view of the water reflects how all-encompassing and overwhelming the feeling of grief can be. The different emotions within grief are shown through changes in the aggression and speed of the waves as well as the amount of foam created and whether the water is being restricted by rocks.
Past emotions reappear throughout the book, highlighted by a change in paper texture, reflecting the unpredictable and non-linear journey of grief. The varying page widths mirror the movement of the sea and make it impossible for the reader to flick through the book, emphasising how one must go through each emotion within grief before they can reach acceptance.
My hope is that by representing such complex emotions through a familiar and natural image I can help people gain a better understanding of the process of grief.
Brief: Design a catalogue for the Contemporary Crafts Course degree show at Falmouth University.
Working alongside two other students I designed the theme and layout for this catalogue. Fingerprints are used throughout the catalogue, as well as on the front and back cover, to highlight the use of hands when crafting and making and to emphasise the individuality of those on the course. It was particularly important that we celebrate the students as well as the work because, due to the course closure, this will be the last year of Contemporary Crafts to graduate from Falmouth.
We used images of the student’s workspace for the front and back pages, celebrating the course facilities and the variety of work that the students produce. The layout of the catalogue is simple, so as not to distract from the work featured, which is the main focus of this piece.
I used a telephoto lens to photograph smokers isolated from the crowd in an attempt to capture some kind of relationship between a smoker and their cigarette.
By gathering these images and presenting them in a book I added a narrative to these photos, telling a story about these smokers and this shared behaviour.
There are several fold-out pages which show slight movement in people as they smoke, demonstrating the passing of time whilst they indulge in their habit.
As the book draws to a close I the show details of how people hold a cigarette or inhale, again showing the relationship these people have with their cigarette.
Brief: Celebrate the life and work of a local craftsperson through print.
These two books showcase a selection of work, and an interview with, local craftsperson Jane Smith.
This piece revolves around the theme of ‘balance’ as that appears to be at the core of everything Jane does. In Jane’s work glass and ceramic aspects interact with one another to form beautiful pieces. Similarly, these two books, although physically separable, work together to tell the story of Jane’s life and current work.
The black book, which showcase an interview I conducted with Jane, includes quotes that are separated across normal and transparent pages. It is only by joining the pages that the reader can make sense of the text. This highlights the importance of unity between two separate aspects.
The white book showcases a selection of Jane's most recent work. The images are cropped so that each piece is revealed slowly over a number of pages. This adds a sense of wonder and suspense for the reader and gives Jane's work the kind of attention and celebration that it truly deserves.
The colour scheme, binding and format of the books takes inspiration from the concept of yin yang.
These concertina books showcase three poems by Edgar Allan Poe. I focused the design and format of the books around the theme of story-telling. The setting of Poe’s poems often seem fairytale-like. The exaggerated portrayal of good, evil, love and loss, supports the idea that these poems are more make-believe than realistic. The flow and rhythm of his poems are similar to the ones created when reading.
The concertina format of the books reflects this rhythm. The horizontal format means that the flow of the poem remains uninterrupted when being read. The illustrated letter on the cover of each book is based on the embellished drop caps often found within old story books and fairy tales.
Brief: Design a typeface that is reflective of a particular personality trait.
I designed an animated typeface which is formed when dots move together to form a solid letter structure.
The more dots that join each letter form, the more complete each character becomes, reflecting the energy that an extrovert personality receives from being around others and how they feel more comfortable and whole when around other people.
Brief: Design a modern and contemporary cover for Capote’s novel In Cold Blood.
This simple, yet bold cover separates this book from other crime novels whilst capturing it’s shocking and haunting content.
The two footprint trails reflect the two elusive killers and the length of time that they managed to stay on the run. It also incorporates a pair of bloody footprints, which was the only clue that the killers left behind.
The footprints are de-bossed into the cover adding an interesting tactile element to the design, making it look as if someone has actually walked across the book.
Brief: Design a cover for Euphoria by Lily King which provides a more accurate reflection of the novel's content.
This simple, dark cover has a much more sinister feel than the book's previous cover. My aim was to capture the loss and damage experienced throughout the novel, therefore creating an intriguing contrast with the book's positive title.
The blue fabric reflects Nell's dress, as Bankson remembers it whilst reminiscing about their time together. The way it is torn mirrors the damage that Nell suffered, as well as the loss of her and so many others throughout the book. The way that the fabric flows across the cover is reflective of the sea, which is a key element within the book as the anthropologists travel to new and remote locations.
The text is set in Baskerville to mirror the serious and mature content of the book.
During my semester in Augsburg I was given the opportunity to work in a letter press studio alongside some German students.
Together we produced a book which focuses on the typeface Memphis, exploring it’s characteristics, it’s origins and it’s form.
During this project I tried to work outside of my comfort zone, setting large amounts of text in different shapes and printing two layers of text that work together. The whole book is set in Memphis and is written in both English and German, reflecting our collaboration.
Brief: Design a cover for Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller which provides an insight into the book's content.
This cover creates a jarring and tense feeling in the reader, reflective of how twisted and disturbing the book becomes as the story progresses. My aim was to highlight the themes of possession and control evident throughout the book whilst capturing the feeling the reader is left with when they finish the book.
The tree roots reflect the wild and natural setting of the book. The sinister way in which they reach down towards the title mirrors James' control over his daughter and the cruelty with which he treats her.
The text is set in Tw Cen MT which appears slightly friendly and childish, which I believe reflects Peggy's mentality as she seems to constantly misunderstand her father's actions and intentions.
My dissertation explores tattoo trends in Britain and how they have affected popular tattoo design, and in turn, their communication.
To reflect the subject matter I made a tattooed leather wrap for my hard copy, enlisting the help of local tattoo artist Joe Potter. The design incorporates elements relating to the eras that I touch upon in my exploration of tattoo trends, including sailors, youth subcultures, celebrity ink and the artistic elements of modern tattoo designs.
During my free time I like to create these little cards, taking inspiration from quotes, poems and song lyrics. I started doing them because I wanted to capture my favourite lines from songs and share them with others. I am also very fond of hand-lettering and calligraphy and enjoy the way that, even if I use the same style of lettering, no two pieces look the same.
I find that copying out typefaces is a great way to understand and appreciate the formation and appearance of letter forms, which is something that I enjoy studying.
