About the book

Sandro Miller, an iconic Chicago photographer, approached our studio to create a record of his collaboration with the actor John Malkovich. The work and friendship spanned decades, and is documented in the volume named The Malkovich Sessions. We set on gathering images, while closely collaborating with Sandro and John Malkovich on which ones to include, and in what order. Once we established the imagery, and how it would be displayed, the final product was delivered to the publisher, and we updated the designs based on their suggestions and budget limitations.

A focus on the work

The original cover design incorporated a large M and S into one of the photographs as well as copy. While it gave a strong branding to the effort, the publisher ultimately decided on an alternative proposal that only showcased a photograph.

The Introduction

The book opens with an essay detailing the artistic collaboration. The essay at one point described the collaboartion as artistic gold, which inspired the use of a metallic gold, full-bleed ink on the introduction pages. This technique ensured that the introduction felt separate from the work, and gave the book a strong opening visual feel.

Showing Sequences

The final book contained fold-out spreads that showed images shot as a sequence. This ensured that rather than showing one large and a few smaller images, all of them were given an equal weight.

Defining Sections

The book spanned decades and different types of portraits. Each was introduced a photographic detail overlayed on gold ink to create a clear chapter and showcase the detail in the work.

Creating balance

Working with an artist who is closely connected to his work was a great pleasure. Sandro was very involved with how each spread and section was sequenced and appreciated scale and balance in each composition.

Impact





Wins

Working closely with a great artist is inspiring and a dream project for a designer. The collaboration and sequencing of images was a great experience that brought new appreciation for the artistic photography process. Seeing the physical object was a satisfying conclusion. The inclusion of reflective ink and fold-out page spreads was a great use of budget for printing.



Learnings

I learned a lot about working with publishers, and understanding the risks they take on in publishing a large art book. The requirements and asks taught me about how to collaborate and disagree while keeping a common goal in mind. In the end, the book design mostly followed the original direction, and the final product is a joy to behold.