Steve Attardo at Rodrigo Corral recently designed the re-issue of Henry Miller’s The Colossus of Maroussi published by New Directions. Steve was gracious to lead me through his insightful thoughts about design and the book:
Henry Miller is such a classic novelist. How did you come up with the concept to use a labyrinth?
With The Colossus of Maroussi we wanted to say something about a journey that takes place, and really pushed that simple idea. At the same time, we wanted to use the original Elaine Lustig Cohen cover as a starting point. She had represented the story by suggesting a maze with her cover. So from there, I explored the idea of Greek architecture and mazes and tried to find a way to be inspired by the Lustig, but do something original at the same time. After exploring different ways of representing a journey, and making some pretty abstract and also very literal mazes and pathways, we decided a complex maze that opened up in the middle into the shape of a column was the most interesting and striking way to go. Picked a pretty blue, and that was it. It felt Greek, it felt simple (despite the complexity of the maze) and it suggested the idea of a long path. Out of all the options, this one just grabbed everyone the most. I tried using colors from old Greek paintings but other than that, I never felt that the design needed to suggest something from a different time just because the book is a classic and I think Rodrigo felt the same way.
I imagine working alongside such talented designers as Rodrigo Corral, Ben Wiseman, and all the top talent they commission is such a rewarding experience. Does it help to be in that environment everyday where you can bounce ideas off each other and learn through osmosis?
Everyone has their own way of doing things and everyone has their own way of thinking. It’s not something that can really be explained or taught I guess. Someone can explain how they arrived at a solution or talk about what inspires them, but until you’re around it every day and being critiqued by that person, it won’t stick. At least for me. It’s really valuable to just absorb everything and watch all the good and bad ideas fly around. Being able to talk about ideas with Rodrigo helps me understand his thought process on a really basic level. It lets me see how he thinks without him trying to explain it to me. Hearing him say “this is what I try and do” and watching him do it without saying it are two very different lessons. So, I try to learn from that and try to bring something unique and valuable to the table.
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Rodrigo Corral studied at SVA and I know you recently graduated from there as well. Did you have any professors that nudged you toward book design?
One of the things I loved most about the teachers I took at SVA is that no one actually told me what to do or what I was good at. I was critiqued, as everyone is, and was told when I was good at something as well as bad at something. But it was never on the scale of “hey, you’re good at book cover design” or logos, or interiors, or whatever. I always loved covers. To me, they are like mini posters. I love the process of designing on a single surface. It feels more like making a painting. So I took teachers like Richard Mehl, Paul Sahre, James Victore and Matthew McGuinness who all did most of their work on a single surface. But as passionate as they are about what they do, no one ever steered me, or nudged me, in one direction. It was just one of the many things I was really drawn to and fortunately, everyone backed me up.
What advice would you give to anyone just starting out on how to break into the industry?
Well, I feel like I am still trying to break in so it’s a weird question to answer. But I would say I think it’s really important that you don’t get too down on yourself when you can’t find work or you’re doing work you don’t love. If you take all the disappointment too hard it will prevent you from getting anywhere. The beginning is supposed to be exciting and even though it’s really easy to feel like you’re not good at what you do, or even if it doesn’t seem like it’s what you’re meant to do anymore, you have to find it in you somewhere to keep going. It’s not helpful to harp on the bad for too long. You’ll find your footing eventually.
Filed under: Book Coverage Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
