Jaap Biemans, art director (and Coverjunkie)
Today we're finishing our European magazine tour with a last stop in The Netherlands where we're visiting art director Jaap Biemans of Volkskrant Magazine. magCulture readers will know Jaap not just for his award-winning designs but also as the man behind the much-loved Coverjunkie feed and blog.
We asked Jaap to select three magazine for us: a new issue, an old issue, and a detail that he thinks is great.
A new issue: Ordinary
Mags are definitely my addiction. Like the Coverjunkie website, I’m into everything from the big titles to the indies, but I think the acest thing to do is publish a mag all by yourself. To create a fresh idea and make something wonderful. Max Siedentopf (currently located in Amsterdam) just succeeded in this by publishing Ordinary. Every issue revolves around an ordinary object. He sends this ‘thing’ to 20 artists from all around the world and asks them to take a fresh look at it. These contributions turn this mag from 'Ordinary' into ‘Extra Ordinary.’ It is bold and simple, but a very creative statement. It’s beautiful. Take a look at those spreads. They make me smile.
Concept: Max Siedentopf
Design: Yuki Kappes
An old issue: Avant Garde
I love the old stuff. Almost every week I’m on Ebay bidding on mags. Last week I completed a long mission of mine... Finally they're mine; fourteen issues of Avant Garde. This classic was published from 1968 to 1971. My shout-out (like he needs one) to Herb Lubalin. He art directed these and in my world he’s the ace of all aces.
Art director: Herb Lubalin.
Editor: Ralph Ginzburg.
And another thing…: Zeit Magazine featuring Cattelan & Ferrari
Zeit Magazin out of Germany is stunning. When holding the mag you can sense that the staff is having a great time creating it. Each week I see something I just wish I thought of myself. Since a few months they’ve started carrying a whole new series and when I pick the magazine up to the mailbox, it’s the first thing I turn to. It’s just so visually striking: a full page created by Cattelan & Ferrari!
Editor in chief: Christoph Amend
Creative director: Mirko Borsche
Art director: Jasmin Muller-Stoy