Level 6: 603: Rahel Zoller Contact (Full)

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 (22nd April):

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.
- Could consider this in relation to B9 and how publications can provide new viewpoints and perspective, how does this relate to the photobook presenting Sheffield? What should the book feel like?
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).

Thinking of some questions to ask Rahel in our next video call in response to her previous answers.
In the last call I began asking more about how to get involved with the book industry but I've realised now it's more just putting yourself out there that is the best way.

I'd like to take the opportunity in the next video call to as Rahel about her conceptual approach to publications and learn more about this.
- Potentially also talk to her about the project I'm working on (B9) and see what she says in response.

Of the works you've designed (not just book-specific) which project has been the most fulfilling and why?
When designing a book to convey a specific feeling how would you approach this challenge, as I'm working on a publication exploring this currently.
Do you find that you're still learning as you continue your practice?
When working with conceptual content do you think about the audience and how they will interpret the book or is it in response to your own feelings?

Notes from Call (27th April):

Which project was most fulfilling and why?
Started working on collaboration about paper, decided to send each other letters or "submissions". Our birth certificate is on paper and our death certificate is on paper and everything in between, there's lots of stuff on paper.
The discourse with the material, what does paper mean to myself what does it mean to other people? Could be the ora of paper like a letter of rejection or a love letter, they have their own meaning. Paper is a carrier for many different things.
So the collaborators sent documents to each other as the output, so there were many mini projects as outcomes but what Rahe;e enjoyed the most was having the discourse but also constantly producing something. Really enjoyed the continuous output.
- The use of paper as a way of experiencing the world is so interesting, makes me think about all the different materials we interact with and forget about but that have a lot of significance.
This open minded way of thinking about printed matter is something I want to develop, I want to keep speaking to people and reading to learn more about the medium and hear how other people experience print.
How to convey a feeling within print for the audience to receive even when the content is conceptual?
Often it's subtle, the stories within the production. If it's a book about sustainability and food waste then this should be incorporated into the book. Paper is made out of food waste, die the book mark ribbons with food waste so the stories are brought into the book. You might not know about them unless they're mentioned. Looking at how materiality can naturally answer the questions for you.
Always sees a concept from a personal point of view, wouldn't want to impose it on someone but if they experience the same thing that's great.
Lots of people don't have the capacity to take on a lot, people won't see the concept as they don't have the time to sit down and experience it. Noticed recently people don't have the capacity to understand the subtlety. We get easily distracted. Sometimes it helps to provide a line of explanation but nothing more.
University in Leipzig doing an online bookfair where students can submit, would be good to submit this with a partner or independently: https://www.instagram.com/itsabook_leipzig/
When starting the design process do you consider the audience initial or with yourself as the audience?
Probably make it more for herself, but end up in situations asking if someone else understands it the same way, so look at different viewpoints as to how the project is being communicated and where to not make it too abstract. It should be conceptual but still accessible. Some publications make sense straight away, other publications don't and that's okay.
- This feels similar to how I've approached by B9 brief. And how the materiality and form of the publication have been designed according to my perspective but have asked peers about the physicality and how this alters the experience to make sure it is translating well to an external party.
Questioning what is a book? Once you know the rules how can you break them and go against the structure, that's why she started Title by Author, taking what she'd learned and showcasing it as a skeleton.
Any references for content absorbed that have found interesting throughout practice?
Really like Tauba Auerbach (also has diagonal press), Californian artist, and Irma Boom. Irma Boom is interesting as the way she speaks about books is really interesting, recommends attending a book talk if possible.
Paul Soulellis gave a talk on PMVABF discussing the shift in print in terms of representing communities and being more accessible.
- This was a really interesting point raised and led to discussion about the PMVABF event in relation to decolonial design. I feel printed matter isn't so westernised and people see the beauty in all books. Different cultures were really represented at the event and there wasn't a sense of everyone wanting to be the same. It was great to hear Rahel talk about this, it makes me more excited to venture into the realm of books more.
How do you find you learn as a practitioner?
Everytime you come into another situation you get presenting with new problems that you have to learn from. Made many mistakes over the 10 years and Rahels next publication is a catalogue on mistakes to show the idea about how we're constantly learning and that we can be accepting of our mistakes.
Thoughts on slow media as a use of books?
Why print is still important is because we haven't found out how to archive digital means. Also the footprint of archiving digital content is less sustainable than books. E.g the British library constantly go through digital migration where data is translated through mediums as it keeps getting outdated so there is so much lose through the digital medium. With books they will outlive us.
- This was such a new interesting concept I hand't considered before. The idea of dead space on the internet. Was really taken a back by this as a concept.

Reflecting:

Talking to Rahel was an amazing experience, I learnt more about her way of thinking surrounding books as well as places to go and look for content. Chatting about books with like minded people reaffirms my interest in the medium and how much more there is for me to learn, and that I want to learn about it.

I'm looking forward to being able to tailor my practice after my degree and work with books using the information I've learned during my degree.

Will be looking at the artbook fairs and competitions and applying for these as they seem like a great opportunity.

British Book Design and Production: