The Motz of Butz: With Xerox, scissors, photoshop and stupor
The Art Directors Club (ADC) 2011 yearbook recently landed in my mailbox. It was so thick that I didn’t get a chance to take a closer look at it until today. And what did I discover? A real pain in the neck. Theophil Butz, once a star advertising executive (according to Ringier), now an inspiration—and, as of now, a complainer as well. «Not an easy role, but a necessary one, which I fulfill here every 14 days.» Please send any relevant information to [email protected].
What is it about here: In the thick post I found the new ADC yearbook, as it came along last year, unimaginative, but it does the job of conveying to the reader the award-winning work and those involved. But then the thick mail includes a second identically thick picture puzzle book. Dear ADC, I think this is too thick mail. Unknown to me, Linus Bill & Adrien Horni have "defaced" an additional book. The title is "Turbo Magazine La deuxième chance". I wouldn't have even given this duo a first chance.
My thesis: The ADC board seems to have a problem with publishing the award-winning works of a year in a book. This is the second time that some kind of contrived second book has had to be included. There are enough voices claiming that the ADC is adulating itself. If the board is now also in doubt and thinks that this pseudo art supplement is an added value, then we should now call it a day after 34 book years. I am speaking here not only as a mottler, but also as a founder and co-responsible person in the early days of ADC. Of course, the latter initially imposed a different and more open concept on itself. Members included not only advertisers, but architects, journalists, booth builders, even consultants. After many ups and downs and a change of generations, ADC is now debt-free and in good shape without any major criticism. Why this additional fart idea now? I don't know if anyone has ever looked at this closely. Ideas repeat themselves, the photocopy style is so "dated", more "dateder " is not possible. It is humorless and put on up to gruusig.
To everyone's annoyance, I have to drag this absurdity onto the street with the waste paper. The last supplementary book with the members' photos, from whose eyes fingers come, was for me already on the border of sucklattism, also went into the waste paper. At the last judging, I got to know a few of the younger ADC members better. They are all intelligent, critical people with good taste. Why didn't you deny the ADC bookmaker art direction team this additional idea? U.A.w.g.
My hang-up is that finally this ugly sculpture by Roger Müller in front of the Kunsthaus has disappeared. The square looks much more attractive. Here, too, the thesis proves true: less is more.
