Natural Enemies of Books
Natural Enemies of Books – A Messy History of Women in Printing and Typography is an anthology edited by MMS, published by Occasional Papers in Spring 2020. Contributors: Kathleen Walkup, Ida Börjel, Jess Baines, Ulla Wikander, Inger Humlesjö, Ingegärd Waaranperä, Gail Cartmail, Megan Dobney. Graphic design: Eller med a. The book is financed by Swedish Arts Grants Committee.
Reviews:
→ Gerda Breuer, Gesellschaft für Designgeschichte, 16 September 2022
→ Lisa Rosowsky, “Feminist pot-luck”, Eye Magazine no. 102 vol. 26, 2021
→ Briar Levit, Alphabettes, 1 May 2020
→ Robyn Pitts, People of Print, 23 March 2020
→ Charlie Filmer-Court, “MMS provides a window into an inspiring period of pre-war female graphic design”, It's Nice That, 12 March 2020
→ Read also "Anger is my Motto", interview with our Brazilian publisher Tereza Bettinardi (Clube do Livro do Design) in Futuress, 30 May 2022
Natural Enemies of Books – The Exhibition
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Tengbomhallen, Stockholm, Sweden. 2017.11.11–2018.01.14
Bookmaking on the Distaff Side was published in 1937 by the group The Distaff Side – women working in the printing industry. The book has been described as a potluck in which some twenty bookbinders, printers, typographers, illustrators and authors have contributed with historical essays, satire, biographies, poems, manifestos and typographical experiments, proposing a takeover of the history of the book.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Nina Beckmann, CEO of Grafikens Hus.
MMS has been using Bookmaking on the Distaff Side as a recipe book for a couple of years. The exhibition is a showcase of various graphic experiments. The project is financed by the Swedish Arts Grants Committee and an Artist-in-Residency at Grafikens Hus in collaboration with Kretsen Södertälje. Thank you Nina Beckmann – Grafikens hus, Olof Sandahl – Kretsen Södertälje, Ulla Wennberg, Ciara Phillips, Emmy Dijkstra, Katja Winkes, Jennifer Bergkvist.
Photos credit © Johan Wahlgren