There is something about Bengaluru that draws people to it. It’s old charm and traditional persona, despite the modern outlook that dominates it now, is impossible to replace. One such tradition is the traditional technique of printing and bangaloREsident Anja Lutz pays tribute to this legacy of Bengaluru’s past and its close link with Indian history with the book Bangalore A-Z.
Bringing back the nuances of an era fading from memory, the Berlin-based book designer paid tribute to the wonderful craft of printing and book-making with the book in a unique in-house launch at Grafiprint (Judge Press) with a special video art screening on the production process, filmed by Anja with sound designed by German musician Martin Lutz, and a panel discussion on book making and hidden Bangalore spaces over the weekend.
Bangalore A-Z is a little notebook with personal takes, ideas and advice about the city, contributed by a variety of locals and visiting artistes. From 'Autorickshaw' to 'Zebra Crossing', the entries are dispersed alphabetically with some visual references. In close collaboration with Chandra Mouli from Grafiprint, Anja developed the book based on Ledger Books in terms of paper quality, two-colour printing, binding technique, edge colouring and embossing – all done in the traditional form of printing.
A book designer by profession, Anja says she went around the city looking for printers and was fascinated by the tiny shops with single manual machines. “I thought it would be fantastic to collaborate with them. That’s when I came across Grafiprint and its owner Mouli who is very passionate about print. They use one colour machines and also do book binding. That’s when certain ideas came together.”
The bangaloREsident@Jaaga adds: “When I’m here in Bangalore, I’m amazed by so many things. I came across places and signs that are funny and quirky, and started collecting these peculiarities from across the city. That came together to become a notebook based on my fascination for ledger books. It is really meant to be a notebook for people to add their ideas.” The book goes to show, in a way, the many things we have stopped noticing as a Bangalorean since we are so used to it. “This is looking at Bangalore from someone who is not from here putting in perspective the things we sometimes take for granted. Of course, there are certain things that even I don’t notice anymore since I’ve gotten used to them. Some do stand out like the sign ‘do not urinate’ with religious symbols. I didn’t know what they meant until someone explained that it was to induce respect. I also love the one-by-two offer. These are something that I’ve never seen before.”
On the experience, Anja says certain entries were very quick since they were obvious. “Other letters took time. I started going around the city looking out for details. It’s a nice way of getting to know Bangalore and it’s been a transforming experience for me. I fell in love with the masala dosa here,” she laughs.
Her favourite vibe of Bengaluru is the experience of following through the whole production of the book. “Just being here every day and getting to know the workers and working with the machines; making personal discoveries like incense that is offered here in the mornings and sharing a cup of tea prepared twice a day. These are treasured memories.”
Is the printed book still relevant today? Anja affirms confidently. “I’m convinced that books will stay. A lot of things will go online and am glad they do since the worst thing is badly printed and mediocre stuff. You might as well leave those trees alone. If it’s worth it, then print it. Books are meant to last and not be disposed. People still do appreciate books. I believe print and digital matter will coexist.”
Recalling her journey, Anja says she studied in England in the London College of Communication which was formerly called the London College of Printing. “It had a printing legacy from the 60s. Fundamentally, I was trained as a graphic designer but somehow I was always involved in publications and dealing with a material object. Some years ago, I decided to be a book designer. I mostly do art books now where I collaborate with the artistes and develop the whole language for the book creating something that reflects their works best.”
On what she will carry back home with her from Bangalore, Anja says the entire experience and knowledge gained from the process. “When you come to a place and work, suddenly the whole city, its traffic and people do not overwhelm you anymore. You move from being a bystander to becoming a part of the city. This is my city as well now. So I am leaving home, in a way.”
