Visionaire 49 – Decades

For issue 49, Visionaire took us on a trip through time from the 1880’s to the present day. Housed inside a huge embossed metallic clamshell case were thirteen foilstamped 18″x14″ sewn portfolios each created by a different artist to embody their assigned decade. The roster of artists included regular contributors Mats Gustafson, Karl Lagerfeld, Nick Knight, Bruce Weber and Lamsweerde & Matadin, each taking a unique and distinct approach to the project; Bruce Weber created a tribute to the soliders of WWII, Mario Testino took images of himself from the 70’s and created colourful montages and Steven Meisel gave us a scrap book of outtakes from numerous projects in the 80’s  The issue was produced in an issue of 4000 and is no longer available direct from Visionaire but can still be found in online bookstores.

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Clamshell Box

1880s – Craig McDean

1890s – Mats Gustafson

1900s – Nick Knight

1910s – Karl Lagerfeld

1920s – Peter Lindbergh

1930s – Glen Luchford

1940s – Bruce Weber

1950s – David Sims

1960s – Francois Berthoud

1970s – Mario Testino

1980s – Steven Meisel

1990s – Mario Sorrenti

2000s – Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin

Visionaire 43 – Dreams

In issue 43, Visionaire turned dreams in to reality. Using the latest precision laser cutting techniques, ethereal images from some of the worlds foremost artists, such as Maurizio Cattelan, Lamsweerde and Matadin, Rachel Whiteread, Simon Periton, Karl Lagerfeld and Mario Sorrenti, were burnt into black paper; in effect, this whole issue was printed without ink. Each loose leaf image is protected in it’s own colourful metallic page within a hardback book which is housed in a laser cut slipcase, in itself is a work of art. Many of the images can be enjoyed in the book but some really come to life when they are held up to the light against a white background. The issue was limited to 1500 copies, a small print run for Visionaire, and as such is hard to find.

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Detail Shot

Visionaire 32: Where – In Collaboration with Hermes

In 2000, Visionaire teamed up with Hermès to produce Where, an issue focused on travel. The housing of the issue was an embossed Hermes leather carrying case inspired by Jean Louis Dumas’, the president of Hermès, own travelling sketchbook. Inside the case is a pencil and a collection of 55 silver edged postcards; the postcards have been created by a luminary roster of artists such as Andreas Gursky, Wolfgang Tillmans, Bruce Weber, Manolo Blahnik, Gregory Crewdson, David LaChapelle and Karl Lagerfeld. Each postcard was further customised by unique graphic designs on the reverse. The whole issue was bundled in a drawstring felt Hermes bag and encased in a slipcased trademark Hermès box. The issue was produced in an edition of 3500 and sold out almost instantly. Due to the high quality of production that has gone in to the issue and the classical presentation of it in trademark Hermes livery it has become highly collectible, unopened copies now command a four figure price.