ABOUT

b-side work with artists and communities in Dorset to present contemporary art in an accessible way to different people and audiences. They use unusual places for art installations and performances, with a vision of bringing art outside, allowing artists to create artwork in response to places that all communities can see and enjoy. Every two years, b-side produce a ten day arts festival within an area of Dorset in support of this vision, allowing a selection of artists to create in response to the area, within the area. They capture the feel and presence of an area, bringing communities to life in a way they may not have thought possible. Each year they are supported and funded by visitors and sponsors that help to develop the festival year on year, making each one more incredible than the last. Not only do they bring together unique work and artists, but they inspire communities to appreciate the landscape around them.

For their 2016 festival held on the Island of Portland, b-side wanted to create a supporting artist catalogue that could be purchased by these visitors and potential supporters. The brief for the catalogue was to produce a souvenir booklet that had a modern, minimalist and exclusive feel to it, with a design that reflected b-side's unique identity – creating intrigue not only for the art, but for the Island of Portland too. It was important to demonstrate the site specificity and response to Portland the artists had taken in their approach to creating their installations; the importance of b-side's relationship to Portland and its people, heritage, aesthetics and culture.

Following the brief, I researched into the different ways art galleries showcase their work in catalogues and artist books. I wanted the layout of the copy to complement the images of the artwork and areas of Portland they corresponded to. I drew on the idea of making the grid flexible, so that the layout could appear differently on every spread, reflecting the uniqueness of each area of Portland and the art installations created for them.