Frankfurt am main, July 2003, hottest summer in over 500 years. Good for wine, bad for us. We sneak, shadow to shadow, in an attemp to catch images at the river Main; me drawing, Tim cutting. Competitors of the Ironman flatten us on their bikes, on our way home. At 21.00 o‘ clock the temperature is finally back to body temperature. We won, but Heat passes the stick on to Sleep. Coffe, Coke, Elephants and White Stripes, we use anything within reach. At 5.00 o‘ clock sleeps wins, we retreat for a moment till we continue working and another sun comes out again. The first volume of The One Weekend BookSeries is a diary of two sun burned Germans who tried to live 48 in 24.
City:
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Guest Artist:
T. Faulwetter
Edition:
50 copies
Pages:
42
Size:
Din A5
Special features:
Printed on beige paper, stapled and presented in plastic math book jacket
SOLD OUT!
Volume One / July 2003 / Frankfurt am Main
Interview with T.Faulwetter
M.L.: Tim, you participated in the first volume of ªThe One Weekend Book Series´. Tell me about it. How was it?
T.F.: I had a lot of fun spending the weekend in Frankfurt with you and working on the first edition. What I especially liked about it was the way we worked together: discussing, inspiring each other, seeing the book grow in our hands. Looking back I am proud of what has become the first book of „The One Weekend Book Series“ .
M.L.: How was it working with the set time limit of 48 hours?
T.F.: A weekend isnít much time to create a book. On the other hand this made our work more spontaneous. It probably turned out livelier than it would have been without the tight time frame.
M.L.: I think so too, I think you can see this spontaneity in our work. The book has a very lively look. What kind of impression does the book give you now that some time has passed?
T.F.: It is fun to look at it one and a half years later. It was actually produced in 24 hours, instead of 48, as we did not really get started until Saturday afternoon and I had to leave on Sunday afternoon. This is why you kept adding images of a digital clock to the pages. I remember you drawing a lot and me tearing and cutting. You were singing songs of the „White Stripes“ album „Elephant“ as it was often playing while we worked. It was an incredibly hot day. 2003 was a record-breaking year concerning heat. Which was also the case for wine vintage. 😉
M.L.: Yes, the summer of 2003 was ridiculously hot. The temperature only went down a little at night. A blessing to us as it made it easier for us to work then.
I remember when I called you to tell you about the idea of creating a little book in one weekend. At that time I did not foresee the amount of effort it would cost. Lack of sleep, time pressure, did you expect any of this? What did you expect when you were invited to participate in this project?
T.F.: You only gave me some hints over the telephone and made me very curious about the project. I grabbed my pencils, cutters and all kinds of material I normally work with, and set out for Frankfurt. At the time I was working with my partner Peter on several handmade projects what made the idea of creating an entirely analogue book sound very charming to me.
M.L.: What fascinates you about handmade things?
T.F.: Handmade graphics wear the traces of its process of creation. They have a depth that graphics made on the computer often miss. They are technically less ªperfect´, but therefore more attractive. Working with pen, scissors and paper is an appreciated change to the dreary work created on 72 dpi screens.
M.L.: Does this mean that handmade graphics are not just a trend based upon aesthetics, but as well of its approach and working methods? And is it therefore a relief to the computer dominated working environment?
T.F.: Yes, I definitely think so. It probably sounds absurd, but by taking a step back from the computer you actually create possibilities. By doing so you are forced to improvise, explore and open up to inventive solutions to design and communication problems.
In the development of The One Weekend Book Series communication plays a very important and fertile role. By tuning in to each other a visual dialog takes place between the participants, their styles and working methods. This way the insights of one generate fresh angles and responses from the others, by playing, by communicating unexpected solutions are created. (… actually similar to the Chinese Whisper online project at TwoPoints.Net).
