( : By Ken Coupland I Portrait by Bryce Dutfy ,)

Bruce Mau: Rook MakerlAsk graphic designer

Bruce Mau for injluences and he '11 point [0 [he la[e

Russian movie director Sergei EiserlJ'tein or avant­

garde filmmaker Chris Marker. No[ exacdy [he

role models you 'd expectfrom a prolific talen[who

has designed scores 0/ bi& difficult academic

books and ca[alogs, bur [he deeper you delve in[o

Maus unconventional aes[hetic [he more ap[ [he

comparisons seem. Curren[/y [he sul?ject 0/ a re[ro­

spective exhibition a[ [he Arc en Reve Cen[re

D'Archicecture in Bordeaux, France, [he 38-year­

old Canadian o/ien sounds more like a film direc­

[or and editor chan [he o bedien [ drudge 0/ conventional design practice. Mau first emerged

from under [he radar o/world design wich prqjecu

jor Zone Books, [he New York Cicy-based pub­

lisher 0/ hard-edge, highbrow commentary founded

BRUCE MAU

"It' ' , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ' , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ' , ' , ' , , , , , , , , , ' , ' , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ' , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ' , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

b s a matter not of applying my style, but rather of allowing something to emerge between the designer and author,

etween the image and the text," says Mau. " It ' s in the space between the two that the real innovation occurs. " . . . . . . . . in the mid-198Ö~ ' b~' 'a' '~I:~~~' ~'f' ili~~j:f~~t~d ';~~~'~ '~~~d~~l;~~,' , , 's;~~' d~~;~;l~'r' ;'~ I: i~~~:' , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ' , , , , , , " , ' , , , , , , , , ' , appalled at the musty outpomings 01 lUliversity publishing, In Zone 1/ 2, the prototype oI mnny Inter Zone books, was a kaleido­

volumes of dense exposition, Zone helped familiarize English- seopie mediation on the destruetion and rebirth oI the eily, 'n1e

speaking readers with the olten eonvoluted thinking oJ postmod- book established what has sinee beeome a pattern-li not a {or-_ _ mwa- :or ,au" ae mge 111 sexy co ars, ' le ense ex ' was pune-ern Emopean inteile' etua,ls alld theu' , U.S, 1,'ol'I,owel's, ZOlle was ,'1 ,I I' M' P 1 d ' I tI d t t

breath of Eresh a' " th t ' Id I' d ' d' d' 'I Li I d 1" , ,n m ' es 'agnabng WOL 0 aea emle Iseourse, tuate Wlt 1 eoneeptua st artwor (s, moo y apoea yptle Imagel"j,

und Mau's exeeution provided a lot of the oxygen, l11e designer and eonb'asling paper stocks and inks, "Thc reason Zone ,l /2 had

" ne s 1 y la eellCS Wlth saturated colors and digital the resonance it did was lhal it was in fact ilself a model or urban-clothed Zo ' d' d' I' , ' ,

flair J'uxtap 'th' d " ' , , ,osmg lS syneopate Imagery wlth a cool moderIlIst s ism," Mau says. "lt constituted ils subject ratller than mercJy rep-approach lo th I'h' S h 1 I ' J' J d I] h b ' B " e management 0 uge amounls 01 text. resenling il. 0 the 00 { Jeeame a CIty, t 1a , a ,t ,e a raslveness

, ut the book that clinched Mau's reputation as agraphie design- and 'event quality' tllat cities have;' er lo reckon w'th tl d ' S M' l XL' bl 1'1' 1 d I h d' 1 J I was ' le au aClous " ~, , his monumental As Jor how he was ae lo aon to pro uee lle uge- an luge y

eollaborati 'tL D ' h I ' , ' th on WIll ute arc lJtect and theonst ,Rem Koolhaas 101' successfu.l-S, M, L, XL, Mau eandidly admils he wasn't. Witll ils

e Monaeelli Press, Produced over amarathon, Jive-year period, long, labor-intensive produclion schedule, tlle project posed a

the silver-coloJ' >d ] 400 h cl] d ' I d b'l [" 'I ' I [' 13 M'D Altl 1 tI J" , , e " -page ar Joun qUlC dy became a must- consi era e mancJa n 8 , 01' ' ',. 10ug 1 le rrm can expect roya.lties on the second edition, t1l e weighty tome was ini ­

tially developed as a kind of massive portl'oJjo piece, " I rcalized a

long time ago we wOllld need to have an international practice to

find the projects that are the right fit for us," Mau says, "We are

very demanding to wark with,"

have ltem f ' t 1 -' . ' 01 S Y e eonsclous cognoscenu everywhere. Pnced at a hehy $70 th b k lcl ' . ' " , e 00 so an astounding 100,000 coples, becommg an l!1ternational hit. "1 ' t S ,a book that made hist01"j," aceording to S, M, L, XL publish-er GJanfrane M ' lli "F'" ' th ' ' 0 "onaee . 'rom the hrst spread to the last, It was

e first fulHleclged attempt to conceive of a coUaboration where the container is a.lso the content." The idea of the book as an object U t 'ls 11' . , h no I e llUg t sound a trifle self-indu.lgent- if the e011 -

~ept ~adn't proved so salable, Mau's designs, with tlleir bold, cin-emalle verv ' d t t '] f'" ' " e an ae] e messe, are uncommonJy suecessf'uJ [01' pubüshers I b' d" 1I h W 10 a ltlona , y ave not done very large numbers. In person M ' d > 't f'[' ' ' . , ' an oesn come 0 as the hiP, b'end-setbng globe-b'otter h ' .. t d , , ' , ' e lS 0 ay so much as a large, dlsheveled eabdnver, He can seern a b't I ' 11 ' , 'd ' " " 1 P lYSlCa y mtlTTlI abng at fiJ'st, but in conversation Mau IS aJf bl dil ' , a e an eas y amused- unul you suggest tllat he cou/d Just as easily trv hl's h d t d ' , 1 " I" b' "J' , J an a ' eSlgnmg ess slgnr lCant 0 Jects, don't thi I I ,' ' n ( could, because I let the eontent drive the work " he say "I-' ' ' ' s, ~ s a matter not 01 applying my style, but rather of aUowing somethl11g to 'b I d ' emelge etween t le eSlgner and author, bet:ween the image a d th t , I " th n , e ext. t S ill ' e space between the two that the real innovation occms." Gianli'anco 'M I]' " , ' ' , , " onace J agrees: Bruce cannot deSIgn rn the abslTact Yi ' , ' I ' , " ' , , ' .ou can t glVe 11m the task wlthout havmg hun paruel-pate m ereau'ng the t t 13 'I' b " h' d" I 'd h " , con en , utJ. : you nng 1m an e Itona I ea t at needs to be expressed in a novel way, the creative juices begin to now." Born in th , . " ' e mrnrng commu1l1ty oJ. Sudbury, Ontano, Mau had never lived ' b" 'j' h , ' lll a Ig eity unÜ e attended the Ontm'io Co lJege

Demandjng he may be ("1 don't think I can do a good job on

something I don't believe in," Mau says), but the stance has paid

off. 'Ioday BMD's dient roster reads like an A-list 01' cu ltw-al

heavyweights, indudülg insti tutions like tlle Getty Center and

Walt J)isney COllcert HalJ in Los AJIgelcs, the An dy Warhol

Museum in Pittsbw-gh, and the Guggenheim MuSel\Ol in Bilbao,

However, Mau's excursions beyond tIle world of books haven't

always ended so weil. His much heralded redesign oI T,D, maga­

zine in 1990 Duund Jred shorLly after it began, a vi clim 01' lhe

designer's combative ideals at war with the realities of puhlishing

a periotüeal. "He gave us Cl distinct personality, and broke us away

Jrom everyone in the design pack," said 1.D, editor Chee

Pearlman in E'ye magazine, "ln the end h(~ res igned. I think we a11

realized tllat it was to djllieult to produce a magazine umler t.hose

conditions," Olle of tJlose eonditions was undoubtedly geographie, By ehuos-

ing to maintain his 'toronto base, Mau bas distaneed ltilllscl l'l'rom

the center 01' the publishillg industry, Yet. Mau '~ relationsllip lo his

home COllllU"j has long beeT! ambivalent., aggravated hy resent­

ment on the part 01' peers regarding his in tcrmltional popu larity,

"What's ni ee is that finally, aft.er nearly a d(~cade," Ma u says, 'T m starting to get work in Canada," His ca ll (01' deöigners in his native

country to take more responsibiLity for th eir work is usually greel­

ed with what Mau disrnisses as whining, "The way it gets

expresseo here is, 'Jt's easy for you to say WIUlt you do beca llse you

have the right work,' to whieh J reply, 'We have the right. work

ot Art in Toronto in the early 1980s, Mter graduation, abrief

and unhappy period oI apprenticeship with the London office

01 Pentagram followed, then a stint with a design collaborative 'jnd [" U ' " ,ma y, rn 1985, the erea tion or Bruce Mau Design and beeause wc've said we wa nti t..'"

~1~~, i,t, t~ ~, ~~~,i~,ning of his ongoing relationship as the exelu- Mau conJ~ss,e,s ü~~t \'/l~ en , h ~, I:ill ,i sh~d, tI~ e,gat:~a n tu~n, S: ~'v1: l~" X]~" (O I'I'OS/,I'I.;) ':-1 F ONT 'e;,;,:,.',:,; ;,, ;{ : , ~'K',:' ', ';;;,'~;,;,,;;,/ ::' / :,,; ,;~~ '~ ,' ~" ';~;';l; ~/;,,:,, ;,/:/;/ ;,; ',/:/,;~ ' :\;:"; ;WCfo; M ,I/J 11'/,/ '/1 C llf{; V /N A/S I'l'NI';, /l UI/ I',K /' S ();fI(. '1'/11., '/'I''''','l-:I {: /\ W IS 1J'::VI'''' ,()f 'I\ /J flOU '1'/11'; WO/WMAUK AN/) ; 11./, Sf(;NAG/'; , /I'I'I ,I CA 'f'/ ON:j /,'OU '/'/"'; 1/0/1:/' f)1:jN I'; 1' CONCfo;U,/, 1/,/1 ,/" I ,os / I NC /'; /,/';S, m ;, /GN'W 1/1 ' ,'flA NK 0, G /'; /I/Il',

B R U C E MA U

" ,

" It's easier to train an educated architect than to educate a trained designer," says Mau. He'd prefer to spend the weeks it

takes to teach someone the appropriate skills instead of the years it would take to give them a background in the humanities . . . . . . .. . .. ... . ..... , . . . . . . . .. . . . . .... . .. . , . ...... . .... . . . . .... . ..... . . .. . . . . ... . .. .. , .. . . .. . . . . . ... . . .. ... . . ... .... . .. . ..

" l said, 'That's it 1'01' me, l can'l imagine doing another book,'" In a

matter oI monlhs, however, be was at it again , working on the

scholarly eatalog for the Cctty Center, Not surprisingly, Mau

admits to litlle separa ti on between wo rk ancl Lfe, Anel whi lc in tbe

past Mau wOl.lld linish a big projed anel tJlen take 011101' three or

foUl' months and "hang out in Pari s an d New York," nowadays, be

adm its ruefuUy, '·I'm Jueky to get a cO l.l ple 01' weeks oll to go aod set up my show,"

Considering lhe Cl mount 01' time he invests there, Mau 's physic<11

sUl'l'oundings eouJdn't be less prcpossessing, ß MD occupies Cl

dilapiJated structure on a sbabby side-street in one 01' Toront.o's

older res idential neigbborhoods, The taeky retro deeor 01 tbe stu­

dio's cramped quarters has a perve rse cbarm, li'orn the eheesy

wood panel ing to thc decaying aeousti e til e and rusting 60s-style

light I'ixlures beneath whieh aboll l a dozen 01' Mau's aeolytes toil.

"We're looking 1'01' anothcr spaee," says Mau, who reeenlly added

a seeoml ol'l'ice to handle the overlJow, "Hut thc move is eallsing

lTl e tremendous anxiety, This spaee has sueh a gooel vibe. ('ve

made a decade 01' work Ii ere, J'm eonsideri ng holding on to itjust in ease I change ITI) mine!."

Whilc Ma u li kes lo tout lhe eoJl ahora live nalure 01' 13M!), lhere's

11 0 co nl'usion about who's boss, Though he'11 say that "most 01' our

people have an Hrehited ural eduealion," he pointedl y omils men­

ti on ing lhc names 01' any partners, exeepl a business manager.

Ma u is also brulally eatego ri ea l aboul whM he's after in an

emplnyee, " I have a I'airly harsh way 01' arlieulaling that," he eon­

I'esses, " I say: il's easier lo traiJl an t rlucatecl arehilecl than lo edu-

cate a trained designer," Because arehiteets are trained in a uni­

versity environment, Mau believes that they are more broadJy

edueatecl than graphie designers, who te nd to emerge h om isolat­

ed design schools, ConseqllentJy, he wOllld prefer to spend Ule

weeks it takes to teach somcone the appropriate slGUs instead or

the years it wOllld take to give them a coll ege background in the

hUlTlanities, As for reeru iling eljgible graphi e des igners, Ma u says,

" lt.'s not IjJ<e l'm not looking for tJlern, it's just lhat tJl ey' re harcl to

Find ," Despite Mau's all egianee to the book and to "pureJy eullt w

<1 1 wo rk," ßM D reeently brunehed oul inlo I'cature film graphies,

with lhe identit.y, eollalera l, title sequ enee and (0 1' eourse) aeGom­

panying hook for a Canadian Feature ea ll ed Hed Violin , direeled

by Franeois Cerard , Mau's also trying his hand atrcla il di splny:

the studio is eompleting design diredion 1'01' a ehain 01' super­

stores fnr Indigo, a new Ca naclian bookseller, "lt's not the hardesl

edge of the te]'J'ain," Ma u says willl some understa tement. "At lhe

same tirne, 1 dOll 't. wa nt the praeliee to get sluek in any one area,

no malt.er hüw sweet that spot might be,"

And thal swccl spol, ror Bruce Mau, remains willl chalJenging

projeels ami the sweeping design programs ancl stale-oJ-the-arl

prinling leehniques to produce lhcm, "The integration 01' rorrnaJ

innovation and eüntenl devclopmenl only beeomes possible aS

lhe teehnologies that produee them interseet.," he says, "The

interesting thing fight now is thal all the teehnoJogy thal's bei ng

applied lo the wo rld of the image is-ralher than as predicled,

kilLing the book- in [act rein venting it. Thal's where we're lrying

to be, al t.h at. momenl 01' reinvention," _ .... . , . . . . . . . . . .. , .... . .. , . .. . ..... . . . .. . . , . . . . .. .... . . . . .. . . . .. .. . . . . . . .. . . .. . . ... . . ...... . . . . .. ... , ..

('/'I/ IS 1',1(;1) " F UI' IN OUIII'I' '' I;Xl/l/ iI'I 'ION, 19'J(j , CI ,I/'NI': Ih 'S IGN I ';XI:I/ANG/';, 01/;,1/'/ 1'/'; 'J'/';,IM: 131wu; M ,I(/ II' /'/'I/ I(f.Y/N SUI;m;N, f) ß /GNI'; /J Wf'I'l/ (;U II, I'/'OH KICI/I','/.

(;(J'/"I'I ,I/':JI , l'I' '/'''''; 1Ji..'S /GN 1,'XCI/, /iW; I': IN 't rl/I UN'IV, C INA /J, I, 'J'/I/S Jo,'X I/I/I/'/'J()N 1';X I'J.(Jw:n '1'111'; VISJONA/O' m :SII ;N (,'U I,,/,(} /{/; IJ/o' 1'1 1/; S /I IU : H,lu :, _ (O I'I 'OSI'J'/':, U :!-" I) !'OIl"I': "

'/'I;N (;..I.II/ I I/ I;N, I I)'JO, C I.II;N,/,: 1)1111 /;" I 'I" IN'/' CON'I'I-:,l l/'I)/U/()' , l u'/' (; , II ,U :U)', C /{/':, I'I 'J11I': '/}:,IM: IiIW C/': MA ll 11"/' /'11 }'OSI/ I 1/1,1'/,/;H/f() I!S I':, A Nf)/{/': 1I" /JI Ho,s,I, !'O')'I'I': H

m :SI I;NI,:n '/'U l'IWM()'f } : 1,'l fN f)IUISINI; I'YI-'II/('/ :'-; HJ/{ 'f'II Jo,' F uwl':u I) I,AN'/' CIIN'/ } :MI'Ii II,1I0 ' A ll'/' G, II ,I,I,'UI', C JN,I/J,I 's U :, iOING NON-COI,W C'J'/ NI; (;ON,/,/;MI 'O II,JU)' , II('/ ' / ,vO'J'J'J'I '­

'I 'IIIN, (0 l'I'Ii .'i /'l '1-:, /( /( ;/1'1 ) ' ''/'11/; UI.IJ IUl INI ; IJ/o' 1111/1 l ilJUN IJ,III I/':::; SUGI;I','S/:S 'f'I/I': SI/ ,I/ ' I'; IJ/o' NI':W '/'1-:/1/1,1 IN, .. 191)7. CI ,/I','N'I': H/u : UNWI':US I'J'J~ 01/':,1'1'111,' 'J'/':"I.\I: /JU IIO; M All

IIl'f'II }' OSI/ I 1/1,1'I } :Ul/ li IlS I':, IJlt.l NOON /l ooKWI )', l'o s'f'I':u /)Jo,'S/GN , INO CO /'I' l ' IIII'\/()'f'INr; 'J'/ I/; Sc/W il l , o!-' ;/HCI/ I'I'Jo,'('TIIII/': I ' IWG /UJ\! ,I'/' IiIC/': U NI/ Ii/(S/'I 'l,

Whenyou dive into

a think tank, be sure it h-as adeepend.

Stlpporh uJ 111' Tb ct Powe r T ... " ~L'tlW..orlJlrOO!lijhlf~,.-:om.! .. t(ll1l ... t;:lIW1!.n."',Ido' >r.

(l(J"lOn~ .• II\IIl~~Y

.v.( T'·It'>'tkl" t kll .. ru"!..ß".",~t.\,'UOoc-;,S),,<:'{)f.,;w.)Odr>lJl\dy<;O..:ur!\ "'·' Jr.:: . '~'1UI!!)" .... ,,\11 •. ,. Comp..lIV Df C1,oh. 1C1.l , TIlII r 1\o1llC1 .. !I'Q!., ""\:IUIIl4'. :ßt.t {,.I"",~I , U d • J."'~.nr 11"'~:" V,IlI!)''''''

LNIU 1I1)<v{'f (;.of lod.l , R~~,·.l:omlllul· IC.,II(oI' ,In~ .. b l'H {\('=.;)dQ!' l nRI~1l

r0;",('4 llo". UM'l'-<JW!"t)i.""" ,, _" ·~Jfl.lfl \lll!ll)UlI IIOlm, .. 1t:tllll.nl ln ~ Illl ing edl" ' ,W,IIIV1 ty IlI ItJ "U" ... ·,l\1' .J ~1l~' .'lI III '"

COtlU~ down 10 TIN! Power P lanl Wlt! tlell wtlal thc)' IJ(-\ieve in. ; ' Jl (r KIN'~ Q,,(lV\· .. ·~I. rorontu, {Alu) ~U:'49<1!)

J23-1-. --..... --_._._._-_ ... . _ ..... ----_ .. _ .. _ .. _ .. ----==_ ... _ .. _-"_ .. _ ... __ ...... _.

.... lied .. 1[1,. ex.h,\ ,. i!oOt.tKMI. 11 i.s ahrrays rHJ,1e4.

_eU~" Oft'l' d.plta .ays. 1o •• ,"II~ «J1,ututiM

.. i .n • .,.dol $lINdeaso aMi .nIIMes. .... 1_ RU

• ~ tleSip. is Me .... th il(kl~ illle"lty - thaI b .

•• ity GI ...... ,,"5$ _ 1111 "ta"," 11!l.at_ '0 IlS ".Yi,.._IHIL

"TtMi1'MSetl ...... ~fllbMr41.c.o. • ..,ls Ut.tll"

(ß!IIIM lIelU.4s .. hiJ'l d~ne of .... Uo.,t_ .. "

i.~K.bI;!I1 -at.rity I. 11M! doJlJ.cr. alHl :1.0 pu,t.,a~ wJlloblemo.. cf Oesip-

...... ---_ ... _ .. _.----_ .. -.--_ .... -........ ----... -__ . .. .. . -._ .r_~., ... ..... ...-,-.... __ u..I "'- ... -.. .. .... ----.-.. -_ .. _---. ........ --. .. _ ...

~ .. " ..... "' ... c.-.' _ _ .... ~, ... . .... _ _ ............ __ ....... ..-, ..... . ......... , __ ... _._...1, ...... Ir.--.. -.,-.-, ................... ...... -" ..... """'.- .. -._;".l""_.-.. ... :..':'::".:;:~::::::.,,:.-;.=~:::== -,,,.-_ .. _"" ~.'::::'-:-::":~::i .... ":'::'= _ .... .. ,.--.....- ... _ ......... '" :::::=::::::.:':;::"'::'-~:::':'­::--~:::,,".:=..'.::.::.~::: _ .. -. .. -........................ ... _ ... ~ ..... "'-... _--.. . .... , ... __ Go_ ... --,··,-, ... .. =-"':~.::=..=;:.~:.:=:;,=~ -, ...... _--,..-,., .. ,_.-. -,:..-::::..:"::,::;:.!':'"_ ..... ,a.'" , . ."-_..- ... ,. .... ,- , .. . ",,,-=::"w:~~:,,"~r;..= _.--_ ....... '-"" ._~-.! ..... ""'_.-. . .....-.. -. .... --' ...... _ .... M ... _ ......... _ • ..-

_ ............ _ 1 ... ' ... --·_ .. ~~~~~:?E~~;~ ::::::.:::. ..... ..::".7!:"=..:.-== ;;M.·."""' ........ ..-~ .. ....... ·-.. ,.~"", .. _ ............... -- ..... ' ,""'.d ..... '_ ... • ..... , ....... ~.,.-...... - .......... , .... -;::.:-:.:;' :.:!'.:.":'':::-~:::'' ,--.. --.-_-. .... ,...-- .. '",-.. ..-~ .. ..,.- .............. ... ....... . _ ........ _ ...... .. , .. _...,.

~ ........ ..---",----",-:. .. ,.-:.:-=-.=====.:. ... -_ ... ......... _ .. _ .. -...... *--..... _~ ..... , ... _ .... . _~'" "', ... 1>00~._ ..... _""""" .. _~_

.... , ... _"' ......... . ""._ .. --"' ........ _ ...... ..,....._ ............. --=;:::..~:.::-.:::.= ----,· ........ '_ .. 1.......,...-:.~=.:~ .... ... .... _ ... _-..

"' .. "'\~ • • _ .......... ~_,_" ...... 'f"' •• . _ .... _ " ... , ........ __ ..... I.>o=--.....~_ .. a.-..,_.w ... _ ... __ '" ..,;0.""' - ...........-""_ .... ""' ....... .. ,, .,., .... , .... _ • . _ . w-4 M __ ' ...... ~ • ........ _, .... .... ......... _Ioo< ... .-:r_ .... _ .. ,-~-... _ ......... _, ...... ...... ~ ...... -.... _ ... - ... - .. -.-.. -.. ___ ... . " .. _10.- .............. . ::::-.:=::;.:-_-::,::-)=;::::"'~.: _ ... . .......... _ .. ... ......... k . . ........ . ........ _-,...... ......... ""' .... ~ ---........ _ ................. .... -_ ....... _"'--"' .... -... _--.. _ ... ~-..-""-........ -"' ....... -...... _..-....... _ ... ......, ... ........ .-.-11 __ ...... ..-,., ....

:.-.:..::;:: __ .... .-.. ... . . M ... .. __ ..... --,.._ .. ,,_ .. -". .. -_.--............. -. _~ .. ___ ._ ........ -.a,_ .. ......... n. . .... _- ....... -" .. ,~ •. 1..--............ _ ..... _ ·_" .. .0.-...... __ ..... ___ ..... _;00-. ::::;:.:.':.-==::.::~ ... _ ... ....... .a._ .. _ ............. . .. _ ............. ~f..- ........... ....... ... .-.<l .. _ ................... "'--, .. __ ... _,.... .w._ ............ _ ~"::!: ,.._ ....... _'-"' ......... - -..,..._ ... _ ....... ~_ ...... ~"';.~ ... ~ ::::::~.';:~~..'!':!: i=:::~~ . .:;=::.:~ .... -..,,-~-_. -",,-. ................. ~--_ .. ,......."....:-..... ..=:.':.::~:-=.~7'_