Reporter (PV): Book covers are the “clothes” of the book. Whether they are beautiful or ugly depends largely on the designer. What do you think about the world of book covers today?
Artist Le Tien Vuong (LTV): Book covers are an indispensable element of any book. In addition to the function of being a durable "coat" to protect the book, today's book covers must also be "beautiful coats" that are fashionable and trendy, expressing "immediately and always" strongly, the "soul" and message of the book. Even how to make the book with a unique and strange cover design like a "love at first sight" at first sight, an unexpectedly attractive effect on readers.
Book covers are really blooming nowadays. Modern design and printing technology has helped create many eye-catching, colorful, and impressive covers… However, there are not many “unique, strange, and captivating” covers.
PV: Some people say that old book covers were hand-painted by previous generations of artists, so they were more “emotional”, while today’s book covers are too “generous” in terms of colors and images. In your opinion, what can contemporary artists learn from the book covers created by previous artists?
LTV: In the past, book covers were simple because printing technology was still rudimentary, forcing artists to "calculate" in the "most minimal" way to express the "soul" of the book as quickly as possible to readers. Therefore, creativity had to "think a lot" and draw little, just like samurai swordsmen could not dance and spin too much but had to "defeat" their opponents with just one swing of their sword, because of that, readers felt that it was "charming or romantic" in its conciseness, simplicity and plainness. That is also something worth pondering for artists making book covers today.
PV: So with today's technology, in your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages in designing book covers?
LTV: Today's technology has more advantages than disadvantages, because it helps designers freely create and maximize what they want, unlike the artists of the past who minimized what they needed. Today's technology has enough software, computers are increasingly advanced, can do things quickly, do a lot. Especially changing, repairing, duplicating, sending print files globally in just "a snap".
But the disadvantages also come from those advantages, because they exploit the same "available" resources in the computer or free libraries, so the usage is very easy to duplicate, "stealing" ideas or copying is too easy, so too many book covers use the same images, use the same words, use the same colors and layout. Relying on technology and computer resources has made many designers "lazy" to research and create book covers that "captivate" readers.
PV: Can you share your ideas for this first exhibition of Vietnamese book cover art?
LTV: According to published data, in 2020, Vietnam had 410 million copies of books published with 33 thousand titles. If we add up the past many years, the number of books reaching readers is huge. With the collaboration of many artists, culturalists, andeducators participating in the compilation and implementation, every year the Vietnam Publishing Association organizes a national award for authors and editors of good books, beautiful books... but there has not been an exhibition organized to recognize and honor book and book cover designers - those who have contributed significantly to the success of books in most genres, publishers as well as bookstores across the country...
Understanding the thoughts of many designers and artists, the Graphic Design Association 2 decided to organize the first exhibition on a national scale, aiming to attract and invite the participation of professional artists who have been working in book and book cover design to gather and share, together introducing the art of book cover design from primitive to modern, from minimalist to maximum technique, with many styles and techniques displayed on the covers of books of all genres. It can be said that this exhibition is a performance, the first demonstration of force of graphic artists and designers.
PV: Besides the book covers with their own creativity and uniqueness, in the market and even in this first book cover exhibition, we also see book covers with low aesthetic quality, even with duplicate graphic language and importantly, incorrect and not in line with the content of the work. In your opinion, what is the main reason?
LTV: Currently, the design and creation of book covers is still in its infancy on the path to professionalization. Many publishers have very few artists who specialize in making covers and have to rely on their team of collaborators. Many editors commission artists or acquaintances to make covers without knowing whether the artist's strengths and creative characteristics are suitable for their book cover design or not... Many people responsible for approving book covers do not deeply understand the value of a book cover that fits the important content. Some people even consider a book cover to be "simply a cover" and easily accept book covers made by non-professional artists who are still inexperienced in book cover creation. I have designed books and newspapers for many years and have created countless book covers, but I have also had to refuse many book covers when ordered because I found them uninteresting, or not suitable for my strengths and creative style. The above basic reasons have led to many covers below the required level.
PV: How do you evaluate the current book cover design team? Which names have left their creative mark in the field of book covers, from the perspective of art experts?
LTV: We do not have a “book cover creative team” but only a few artists who are successful in creating book covers at some publishing houses, among which many artists “work extra” to design book covers when ordered… But fortunately, there are still many names of artists who create book covers that are engraved in the hearts of readers of many generations that I know such as: Artists Le Huy Van, Nguyen Dang Phu, Thanh Chuong, Le Tri Dung, Le Minh Hai… Younger are artists Ngo Xuan Khoi, Tien Vuong, Le Tam… Even younger are Huu Khoa, Ta Huy Long, Truong Van Ngoc, Kim Duan, Ky Nam… and many other names in the south and central regions that are hard to remember.
PV: Thank you for the conversation!
Source: https://nhandan.vn/chung-ta-con-thieu-doi-ngu-sang-tao-bia-sach-post697239.html
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