Interview with Uppercase and Darren Booth

 

If you are a creative person, “chances are, your work and your life are one and the same and you wouldn’t have it any other way,” according to Janine Vangool, a designer and all-around artistic nexus based out of Calgary, who started her own gallery and independent publishing venue, UPPERCASE magazine. As a publication designed by creatives about the creative community of illustrators, designers and typographers, the cover art is as it should be–a living testament to the work inside. It was great to learn more about the publication from Vangool and designer/illustrator, Darren Booth, who illustrated the type on the cover of the UPPERCASE Work/Life directory (above).  

Janine, how did you decide to start UPPERCASE magazine and gallery?

I always thought that having a little bookstore as a companion to a design studio would be a nice pairing, so that is how UPPERCASE gallery, books & papergoods began back in 2005. I started out by designing my own cards, hosting shows on illustration and photography, and selling other publishers’ books. Within a few years, UPPERCASE was taking more of my attention and I decided to focus more of my efforts on growing it into something more than a retail venue.

Since the publication is about designers and illustrators, how important is the design to the magazine?

My ultimate goal was to publish, so in 2007 I released The Shatner Show, a funny book in which 76 illustrators interpret the life and career of Canadian icon William Shatner. Since then, I have released Work/Life, a directory of illustration, and a series of books: Jen 11 (about 11 artists named Jennifer), Old School, The Suitcase Series on Camilla Engman. The Elegant Cockroach is the latest book (we have the launch this week) and there are 3 more books in the works for early next year.

I used to design a magazine for someone else and so when that project ended, it opened up an opportunity for me to pursue my own ideas for a magazine. UPPERCASE: a magazine for the creative and curious, launched last year. As a graphic designer, the look and feel of the magazine is really important, so it has excellent production standards, great paper, and really talented illustrators and photographers.  

How do you find all the creative talent you feature? 

The majority of the contributors, whether writers or visual artists, are found virtually through flickr, blogs and serendipitous connections, though a handful of people are local in Calgary. 

Darren, the icy colors and swirling letterforms you used on the Work/Life cover are alluring. What was it like to design a cover for a publication about creatives such as yourself? 

It feels great when your work gets recognition from clients and people outside the industry, but it’s different when the recognition comes from within. I really enjoyed working on this cover, maybe because I knew it would be seen by my peers and I felt this was an opportunity to step-up my game. Often times, projects that illustrators and designers work on have a lot of outside factors affecting the look of final artwork. With this cover, Janine gave me an incredible amount of freedom to explore and “do my thing” without having to worry about any of the usual background noise.

Dadaists and assemblage artists, Kurt Schwitters, Hannah Hoch and even Rauschenberg had an impact on me in how they incorporated daily minutia into their work. How did you get into collage?  

I started using collage while studying Illustration. I enjoyed taking found imagery and changing the context by moving it around or adding something else. Collage is great for designs, too. I used to carry a sketchbook with me, but it wasn’t always easy to whip out painting or drawing materials depending on where I was. Found papers and some Scotch tape were more convenient. My collages, along with drawings & paintings, eventually merged into each other in a way I am now happy working with

If ‘art is work,’ is it easy to maintain a Work / Life balance?  What’s next?

It’s difficult to enjoy a Work/Life balance because I enjoy creating work and when something is enjoyable, it’s hard to define it as work. Thankfully, I’ve got other things in my life that keep me busy that I get a break from creating art when I need it. I’ve got a few goals that I’d like to reach, but I’m open to their timelines. Creating some type for broadcast or motion design is pretty high on my list.