No, not some slash BDSM variation on James Bond but an exhibition at the Fleming Collection in London entitled “Bond Bound: Ian Fleming and the Art of Cover Design” which is one of a number of events to mark the centenary of Bond creator Ian Fleming’s birth (on May 28th). From the website’s description:
“Bond Bound: Ian Fleming & The Art of Cover Design looks at all Ian Fleming’s books including the children’s story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Thrilling Cities – his collected travel journalism. However much of the exhibition charts the the role of artists and designers in creating and defining the Bond look. The covers of Bond novels stretching back more than half a century provide a fascinating snapshot of society’s changes attitudes to sex, feminism and the changing international political climate.”
(three different covers for the first Bond, Casino Royale, borrowed from the BBC website)
“Fleming’s first Bond novel Casino Royale was published in 1953 and the author worked on the cover design himself, describing it as one of “exquisite symmetry and absolute chastity”. Over the ensuing decades the front cover was changed on several occasions reflecting a more open attitude towards sex and later a move towards greater simplicity on book jackets.” The exhibition runs from April 22nd until June 28th; for more details check the Fleming Collection’s website.
Wed, Apr 23, 2008
Art and animation, Books, Conventions and events