Printed matter / Drukwerk
Hyphen Press /
The work of Karel Martens occupies an intriguing place in the present European art-and-design landscape. Martens can be placed in the tradition of Dutch modernism – in the line of figures such as Piet Zwart, H.N. Werkman, Willem Sandberg. Yet he maintains some distance from the main developments of our time: from both the practices of routinized modernism and of the facile reactions against this. His work is both personal and experimental. At the same time, it is publicly answerable. Over the now 50 years of his practice, Martens has been prolific as a designer of books. He has also made contributions in a wide range of design commissions, including stamps, coins, signs on buildings. Intimately connected with this design work has been his practice as an artist. This started with geometric and kinetic constructions, and was later developed in work with the very material of paper; more recently he has been making relief prints from found industrial artefacts. This book looks for new ways to show and discuss the work of a designer and artist, and is offered in the same spirit of experiment and dialogue that characterizes the work it presents.
Karel Martens: counterprint
Hyphen Press /
Now that stocks of Karel Martens: printed matter are exhausted, we have published a short book that shows some of the uncommissioned printed work of Martens, with an essay on ‘The world as a printing surface’ by Elliman. This is very much an object-book, in which the work is not so much reproduced as bodied forth.
Frampton, Potter, Martens – and exemplification
Hyphen Press / 2019.06.25
The latest issue of Oase, the journal of architecture, is worth getting hold of. It is devoted to a discussion Kenneth Frampton’s theory of ‘critical regionalism’, which he published first in an essay of 1983. In this special issue of Oase, the original article is reprinted in facsimile, with Dutch translation added; there is a retrospective interview with Frampton, and discussions of the critical regionalism theory by other, younger practitioner-historian-critics: the combined role that Frampton has himself exemplified in his now long career.
Karel Martens at the KABK
Hyphen Press / 2015.03.12
The Gerrit Noordzij Prize, organized by the Type and Media postgraduate course at the Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten (Royal Academy of Art) in The Hague, is awarded every three years. Last week it was presented to the type designer Cyrus Highsmith, and the previous winner, Karel Martens, was celebrated in a seminar, an exhibition, and a book.
‘Wim Crouwel: mode en module’: a review
Hyphen Press / 2013.04.05
This review of the book Wim Crouwel: mode en module by Frederike Huygen and Hugues Boekrad, was written for and published in an issue Typography papers, now out of print. The Crouwel book, as it was often referred to, was issued only in a Dutch edition, which sold out quickly. Since then, Wim Crouwel’s renown has only increased.
Martens on TV
Hyphen Press / 2011.11.09
A 30-minute film about Karel Martens and his work is being shown on Canvas, the Belgian TV channel, on Sunday 13 November at 20:15.
Martens at Monash
Hyphen Press / 2011.04.05
This month Karel Martens is at Monash University, near Melbourne, for a talk, workshops, and an exhibition of his work on Oase.
‘Printed matter’: the three editions
Hyphen Press / 2011.02.23
Clear proof that you need to get the third edition, even if you already have the second and the first.
‘Printed matter’ 3 (update 2)
Hyphen Press / 2010.11.30
We do now have copies of the new edition of Printed matter / Drukwerk in the office.
‘Printed matter’ 3 (update 1)
Hyphen Press / 2010.10.29
We have had many enquiries about this book. So, further to the last post here: the first batch of books has been bound and is now waiting to be put into boxes.
‘Printed matter’ 3
Hyphen Press / 2010.09.10
The third edition of Karel Martens’s Printed matter / Drukwerk is being printed by Thoben in Nijmegen now; sheets will then be sent to the binders, Hendricks–Lützenkirchen in Kleve, across the border in Germany.
Martens in London
Hyphen Press / 2008.04.15
Among the speakers at the Friends of St Bride Library Conference on 15 and 16 May is Karel Martens.
Architectural positions
Hyphen Press / 2007.04.25
The faculty of architecture at the TU Delft commissioned Karel Martens to design booklets, flyers, stationery, and a poster for their series of six seminars this spring on ‘Architecture, Modernity and the Public Sphere’.
A new Martens book
Hyphen Press / 2004.09.08
The first ‘Martens book’ is out of print now, and we will not reprint it. But this new title is just going into production. It should be in the shops before summer begins.
An interview with Robin Kinross
Hyphen Press / 2000.08.21
This interview was recorded in London on 28 May 1999, and published in Slovenian translation in the cultural magazine Emzin’.
The nice and the good
Hyphen Press / 1998.12.30
Counterpunch is included in the exhibition ‘Mooi maar goed: graphic design in the Netherlands 1987–1998’ at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
Martens book prized
Hyphen Press / 1998.07.22
The second printing of Karel Martens: printed matter sold out in Europe within a few months in 1997.