In 2015 Hot Tomali hired STUDEO Design to art direct, design, and manage the production of an exhibition catalogue for Canadian photographer and good friend Philip Jarmain. The series, titled American Beauty, consists of large-scale architectural, military grade photographs of what was once known as the “Paris of the Midwest”. Jarmain has been documenting the increasingly rapid destruction of Detroitʼs early twentieth-century buildings since 2010. The launch of the exhibition received critical acclaim and the publication garnered awards. Marketing collateral including exhibition posters and website were also developed. In late 2013 Jarmain reached out to us to create a limited edition fine art hardcover book which would be released in time for the holidays.

STUDEO Design worked closely with Hemlock Printers (known for their high quality books and prints) to fine tune the specs of the new coffee table book. The resulting format was picked to showcase the images in all their glory. The finished book is 13.5” x 10.5”, 132 pages long and features 60 photographs accompanied by text revealing the history of each of these magnificent structures. The cover is case bound and wrapped in a black cloth, with the option of a wrapped slipcover. Both the cover and slipcover include a foil stamp of the American Beauty identity, creating a sublime tactile experience. The pages make use of generous amounts of white space to create tension and draw the viewer to the clean lines of content.

The logotype pays homage to the Detroit Tigers logo, originally created in the early 1900s and still in use in a more refined way today. This was paired with a robust/modern style typeface to reflect the industry of the region. The layout of the logo is developed in the style of plaques found on listed buildings in Detroit.

Why is this important? The city of Detroit had an unprecedented impact on the modern world. The architecture of Detroit in the early 1900s rivalled that of New York, Chicago, and Paris. Then came the Great Depression of the 1930s. Though Detroit would rise again, the era of opulence was over. In 2009 a recession hit like a second Great Depression, compounding the decline and ruin. Now the majority of these majestic pre-Depression buildings lie victim to scrappers, arson, and demolition.

Sperimus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus.
We hope for better things; It will rise from the ashes.