Interview with Paul Sahre

 

The stars collided on this one. Victore, or Who died and Made You Boss? was designed by the virtuoso Paul Sahre about designer James Victore. The black background in the spreads gives a refreshing change from our white box, white screen world. I’ve been a fan of Sahre for a long time and after I saw a poster he designed for The Poetry Foundation inspired by T.S. Eliot, and later found out he made it, it clinched it. It must’ve been interesting to work on this project since they are both friends. It was great to get the scoop from Sahre:

From the quirky title to the mustache, this book looks like a riot to work on. How did you come up with the concept to deface a painting, use black backgrounds and pull all those eclectic quotes for the design? 

The book is definitely a collaboration. James came to me with the initial cover idea, complete with an establishment white guy in a suit. We commissioned the painting by Robert Hunt and drew the mustache. James also came up with the sub-title, “Who Died and Made You Boss”  from an expression he claims his dad used to say when he was 10 years old.

We decided to make the book all black (relentlessly, from the cover to the pages, and even the stitching) to capture the feel of his lectures. You know, looking at work in the dark and hearing James talk.

The finished book does surprising things. For one, the smell almost knocks you over (due to the amount of ink coverage)! This thing’s dangerous. And, figuratively, while reading, it’s hard not to be affected by James’ point of view and commitment to design. Plus, it’s literally dangerous if one decided to light the book and toss it like a Moltov cocktail at a difficult client.

Collaborating with friends can be either a nightmare or a dream. Since you’re both designers and friends, what was it like working together? There must’ve been a lot of inside jokes and chummy references.

I tried to talk him out of it! But he wouldn’t let me off the hook, even if working together could break our friendship. Luckily the process was enjoyable. I wanted the best for him, and designing his book, I felt I had his back. I believe he felt that in return and trusted me. 

Near the end of the process though, James jokingly complained that his designer (me) did not provide a place for the author (him) to sign his own “god damn book.” Since the pages are all black, we threw around the idea of a white box where James could sign. It’s the height of hubris to designate a signing area, and we even added the word sincerely, (crossed out) which was ridiculously appropriate since James has tons of hubris anyway.

I’ve never heard of a designer who’s started their own foosball team. Looks like great fun. Surfing and skateboarding were influences on me as well. Do you see sports as another creative outlet? 

Sports are an outlet. With surfing, I leave the city with friends around 5 am, head out to Long Beach or Rockaway, surf for a few hours and get back to the office by 10 am. These are always good days. There’s something about being in the ocean (though it often smells like laundry detergent) and watching the sun rise that centers everything. 

This graphic designer and I (along with friends at Karlssonwilker), not only started a foosball team, but created the World Graphic Design Foosball Championship. 68 teams participated last year. There is a foosball table at Pentagram because of us. No lie.

I try to live by the ‘put me in a box when I am dead’ attitude and I’ve had a design crush on you for quite some time–partly because I would see your work, love it and then find out later that you did it. I’m surprised by each assignment you do because you constantly re-invent yourself. Is it hard to have such a diverse oeuvre?

That is very nice of you to say. Not to sound cheesy, but I agree with you that life, and specifically life as a designer, should–or can be–an adventure.  

I spend a lot of time staring at a computer screen, which I don’t regret unless I get inoperable brain tumors later. But I do actually stand up and walk!  talk! breathe! I am constantly pushing and pulling, kicking and questioning, inventing…failing and succeeding and ultimately: making. One day, it’s meeting Ira Glass (from This American Life ), then it’s dead pigs heads (for the NY Times Book Review), and the next day, I’m inventing an alien language (for an Op-Ed illustration). Every day is different, and still 20 years into it, one of my favorite things is putting the key in the studio door in the morning.

The world wants to categorize you. But I find myself consciously shifting concentrations at different points in my career. I was first pigeon-holed as the experimental DIY theatre poster designer. Then a few years later, I was a book jacket designer, then an educator, and author. Now, I am recognized as an illustrator and book designer. Time for another change.