Stefan Canuel's Award-Winning Book Design: A Masterclass in Artistic Sympathy

Exploring the Unique Approach and Inspirations Behind Canuel's Exhibition Catalogue for Chris Cran

Stefan Canuel's design for the exhibition catalogue was driven by a need to resonate with the contemporary artist's work. The halftone dot, a technique consistently used by Chris Cran throughout his career, was chosen as the central design element for the cover. The yellow color sleeve was incorporated to reference the many layers in Cran's practice, and the use of one of the Chorus faces on the cover served as a humorous nod to the visitor experience. Canuel's design also extended to the inside of the book, using selected Chorus works as dividers between sections to tie the inside of the book with the cover and extend the idea of commentary and the importance of the halftone in Cran's work.

The book accompanies an exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada, featuring paintings, prints, and drawings by Chris Cran. It includes reproductions of all the works in the show, along with a number of the artist’s other pieces, spanning from his early career to the present day. Cran's remarkable series of paintings using the halftone dot in the early 1990s and his recent series of small round paintings of people’s faces – his Chorus works – that he places around the exhibition space, represent visitors themselves, providing silent commentary on the works that they accompany.

The design process was meticulous and involved several stages. Canuel initiated the project with a face-to-face meeting with the artist, the curator, and the chief of publication. This was followed by extensive research and analysis, taking into account the artist’s past catalogues, market trends for contemporary art books, and the history of the artist. The strategy was developed before putting pencil to paper, focusing on the use of the halftone dot that made the artist popular in the early 1990s. This strategy was then presented to the artist for approval. Several different concepts were developed, narrowed down to the most viable ones for further development and refinement.

One of the challenges Canuel faced was ensuring respect for the artist’s work while adding another dimension to give depth and autonomy to the final product. Altering, cropping, and overlapping text is always a potential issue when working on art publications. The collaboration with the artist was crucial. The curator of the exhibition, the in-house editors, and the production manager were also part of the team to make this project happen.

The final product is a 204-page casebound book, printed in 4 colors process on Sterling Premium 7pt matte. The cover is printed in Pantone black with a 5mm thick spot UV coating over black ink. The sleeve was printed full bleed on 4 sides in Pantone yellow with type knockoff on clear polypropylene. The book slides out of the clear yellow sleeve to reveal a black and white halftone image with a relief over the black to mimic painted dots.

Stefan Canuel's design was awarded Silver in A' Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Award in 2017. This prestigious award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. Canuel's design for Chris Cran's exhibition catalogue is a testament to his artistic sympathy, technical prowess, and innovative approach to design.