Studio Job: The Book of Job

This first monograph on the work of Studio Job is designed by the studio, resulting in an extraordinary art object in a limited edition of 3,000 copies. The art objects and furniture developed by Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel bring a romantic, and often monumental sensibility to contemporary industrial design. Celebrated in design and art fairs from Milan to Miami, the pair's creationsfrom sculpture to graphic designhave attracted a cult following and are in the permanent collections of important museums. Studio Job's work is drawn from an artistic tradition that combines everyday objects with grand historical themes. These inspirational sources have been harnessed to create an unprecedented, virtually hand-made volume that translates the process and product of these designers. The lavish package resembles a traditional, leather-bound bible, with hand-drawn illuminations of the entire Book of Job from the King James Bible. Themes present in the biblical Book of Job are echoed in the studio's project portfolio, translating the formal wit of Smeets and Tynagel's work in print. Photographs taken expressly for the book, accompanied by never-before-seen sketches from the designers' personal sketchbooks, provide rare insight into their particular approach to design and patternmaking and culminate in a rare achievement in book design.

Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel are the principals of Studio Job, and are based in Antwerp, Belgium, and Breda, the Netherlands. Both are graduates of the Design Academy in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Viktor & Rolf are fashion designers. Alessandro Mendini is a designer and architect. Murray Moss is founder of the design art company Moss. Gareth Williams is a senior tutor in design at the Royal College of Art. Nadja Swarovski is a collector and designer.