THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING - BOOK COVER DESIGN

October 12, 2001

This was my first book-cover print assignment. The whips and chains of typography came lashing toward me like a sans-serif'd hydra, while I hid behind my golden fleece of Adobe Illustrator. Control. I must learn control.

I've read a lot of Milan Kundera, but Unbearable was easily my favorite book of his assortment of ethereal stories and characters. Easily one of the 10 best books I have ever read, this most likely it had to do with the devotion of an entire writing and composition class to his works and this book especially. I knew the novel inside and out, back to front, up and down. Re-designing the cover was more of a thrill and pleasure, rather than an assignment. I attempted to capture the fusion of philosophy with fiction, and the lightness/heaviness dualism with strong imagery, and a direct communication of color and contrast. I wanted to create a cover that, like the book, encourages questions, thoughts, and analysis.



Comp 1

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Comp 3

Comp 4



© 2002 GDUNNE