602: Rahel Zoller Communication

RAHEL ZOLLER: https://rahelzoller.com/Work

Video call arranged for Thursday at 4pm:

Really excited to call Rahel and talk about her work as well as find out more about what it's like working with publications, how she has navigated the industry.

Questions to ask:
1. What's the first step you take when embarking on a publication?
2. What inspires you to take a more conceptual approach to content surrounding the interaction between user and creator?

3. When did you first start working with books and how did the opportunity arise?

4. How'd you get involved with ABC [Artists’ Books Cooperative] and how has it affected your practice?
5. How would you advise someone who wants to work within book design to get started in the industry?

6. What advice would you give to a graduate entering the design world today? 
7. Of the works you've designed (not just book-specific) which project has been the most fulfilling and why? 

Notes from the Interview:

• The first steps when embarking on a publication usually start with idea and concept. Very much a concept-driven creative.
• Then think about how the concept be reinforced with material, how can the material help me describe the content or concept in a better way? 
• Important for everything to reinforce itself, start with an idea but it could shift after changing the material, they interact. The ideas often change throughout the process due to practical elements. 
• Because Rahel has a lot of experience in how things are printed she knows the limitations. By knowing the limitations things can be build up. Also by knowing your limitations encourages you to solve problems in a different way. 
• Starts with the printing and works backward. 
  - Really interesting idea, didn't think about this before, would be beneficial to think about this more. 
• Runs book art and design workshop there, important to teach students about grain direction, this decides the size of the book. Encourages students to think backwards or view the concept and materials at the same time. 
  - Keeping the process in line with the concept from a practical perspective as well as the ideas. 
• Think big and then realise where you want to go, Rahel encourages this way of working. 
• Why conceptual? Books in a simple way open doors, through literature. Can see through a conceptual way that through a book you can enter an artwork, the same way as when you look at a painting. It is intimate, you have moment where you're the only one experiencing the book that way. The book is an artwork, you can take your time with it as an object. 
  - A great way of discussing how books interact with space, we perceive them but also interact and exist with them. With what Rahel is saying she suggests a symbiotic relationship between books and people, this is something I love to explore with my work, a level of interactivity. 
• Studied Graphic Design in Germany then came to London and studied book arts and design, that's how she got into the community. It's a small community so finding your niche is important. Helpful to have a community, to do projects together. 
• Teaching alongside practice is what allows Rahel to continue with her practice, wouldn't be able to design without teaching. But gets a lot from the teaching, the two reinforce themselves. 
• Really good to look around and find like minded people, go and knock on people's doors. Finding a bookshop where people have similar intentions and going there talking to the people that hang out there. 
• Get in touch with people who work with books and take to them, and keep talking to them. 
• Being part of ABC they go to book fairs together and split the costs, which helps with pay. But the book fairs are really a way to get inspired to make more books as often busy with her teaching job. 
• Getting a group of people who make books together and collecting your publications the go to a book fair, talk to people who also make books.
• Did an internship at a publishing house, good to do to learn how it works in the bigger picture, working for printing press', help out at these, get an internship. Help understand the industry. Then calling up and asking for the person in charge who you could send an email to, talk to them directly, as what they'd like to see from you. 

Audio wasn't the best throughout this call, it cut out a few times and so Rahel was happy to do another call (this will take place next week).