Marian, Une collection de revivals from Ypsilon.éditeur

Marian is the subject of a new book from Ypsilon.éditeur in France. Written by Paul Barnes and translated into French by Sébastien Morlighem, this book is the first title in the publisher's new series, 1|1, in the "Bibliothèque typographique" collection. The book is 56 pages long, features Paul's essay in both English and French, is printed in 2 colors, and is profusely illustrated.

The following is the publisher's description of the book:
Designing typefaces in the digital age is not what it used to be. Marian, one of the most ambitious projects of British designer Paul Barnes, is emblematic of a revivalist approach that had become ‘rhizomatic’ and timeless rather than linear and respectful of chronology as it was for most of the twentieth century.

Through Marian, a collection of nine seriffed typefaces (roman & italic) suitable for titling and publishing, Barnes pays tribute to the old masters which inspired him (Granjon, Fournier, Baskerville, Bodoni…), whilst revitalising the principle of faithfulness to the original source. He describes which are the new means to do so, thanks to the present technical possibilities and to a bold concept : the reduction of each model to a thin, monolinear slab-serif typeface. A broad, modernist approach was adopted to distillate the essence of the form without depriving it of its historical value et of its original qualities.

The book comprises a well-illustrated essay written by Barnes, and a series of specimens showing each weight of Marian, set in an excerpt of a text written by, or about, each punchcutter that inspired it.

Preorders are available now, and the book will ship after 4 May. Please visit the publisher's site for more information or to place an order.