Based in Amsterdam, Jop van Bennekom embodies the often-sought but seldom realized roles of designer, editor, and publisher for three different magazines: RE-, Butt, and Fantastic Man. Established in 1997, RE- quickly gained recognition for its inversion of typical publishing formulas by focusing on ordinary people and everyday activities; it has since evolved to devote each issue on one persons life. In 2001, with Gert Jonkers, he created Butt, a new kind of magazine for gay men, which through its simple, disciplined, black-and-pink aesthetic and unvarnished sexuality exploded the genres glossy, full-color pinup expectations. It combines photo essays with interviews with many high-profile subjects, including Michael Stipe, Gus van Sant, Rufus Wainwright, Marc Jacobs, Victor & Rolf, and John Waters. The first five years of the magazine have been compiled as Butt Book (Taschen). His latest venture is Fantastic Man, a self-described gentlemens style journal that surveys the worlds in and around fashion and style, focusing attention on the people (photographers, models), the personalities (Malcolm McLaren, Helmut Lang, Rupert Everett), and the signifiers (tweed, the moustache, smoking). His earlier work included stints as art director for the popular Dutch cultural magazine Blvd. and, with Eric Wong, for Forum, a publication about contemporary architecture for which he won the Rotterdam Design Prize in 2001. Van Bennekom will discuss his work with Walker design director and curator Andrew Blauvelt.
Part of Dis-Contents: Insights Design Lecture Series 2007.
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