Marian Bantjes Pretty Pictures

From a remote cabin off Canada's Pacific coast, Marian Bantjes has created a unique visual language that combines typographical craftsmanship, illustrative flair and personal observation. Her generous approach, meticulous attention to detail and wit have made her one of today's sought-after typographers and graphic artists - among art directors, branding agencies and students. This is Bantjes's first complete monograph, exploring the astonishing range of her output. It offers candid, thoughtful and insightful commentary on how she works, collaborates and creates her 'pretty pictures', echoing the witty, wry cultural comment and design that formed the centrepiece of her seminal I Wonder publication.

Whether an ornamental design for a magazine cover, a piece of information graphics, a poster, a 'typographic illustration' or an as yet undefined piece of graphics art, Bantjes reveals the source of her inspirations, how she works out her design solutions and resolves intricate compositional challenges.

An ambitious, luxurious publication in scope and specification, the book presents projects chronologically, revealing a fascinating journey from Bantjes's early work as a typesetter to her experimentation in digital technologies and analog materials. There is inspiration for everyone within these pages, particularly those who prize texture, detail and delicate decoration. Marian Bantjes is not a maverick or a pioneer; she is a designer-craftsman who has established her own particular form of graphic expression that is prized for its individuality.