NERAVNINE
“Neravnine” (“Bumps”) is a book by the Serbian author Jasna Rakićević that sheds light on the stories of “ordinary” people and their small everyday experiences which are all but mundane. The collection of short stories registers subtle and transient yet deeply entrenched feelings that leave on us marks of their passing. These “bumps” are nothing more than residues of accumulated time, a collection of imperfections and fragilities that make our human experience worth telling. The author skillfully experiments with different narrative forms and language capacities, confronting what can provisionally be called “reality” with inconspicuous fictional detours.
“Neravnine” (“Bumps”) is a book by the Serbian author Jasna Rakićević that sheds light on the stories of “ordinary” people and their small everyday experiences which are all but mundane. The collection of short stories registers subtle and transient yet deeply entrenched feelings that leave on us marks of their passing. These “bumps” are nothing more than residues of accumulated time, a collection of imperfections and fragilities that make our human experience worth telling. The author skillfully experiments with different narrative forms and language capacities, confronting what can provisionally be called “reality” with inconspicuous fictional detours.
Creative Direction: Kosta Rakićević
Design: Nina Mrvoš, Vladimir Vasić, Kosta Rakićević
Artwork: Natalija Đorđević
Photo: Nataša Stamatović
Design: Nina Mrvoš, Vladimir Vasić, Kosta Rakićević
Artwork: Natalija Đorđević
Photo: Nataša Stamatović
Starting from the title of the book which opened up an incredible amount of visual metaphors, our first instinct was to create a book-object that would conceptually supplement the content without drawing attention away from it. The white embossed book cover that evokes abstract reliefs can be read quite literally- as physical bumps- or more figuratively as the morphology of surfaces, both physical and emotional, that the book addresses. The combination of a neat type with strong illustrations produces an interesting visual tension, giving the edition a youthful and punkish feeling. Rebellion is the notion that permeates all the stories in this collection and we were looking for ways to convey this sense of nonconformity.
Our fellow colleague, artist Natalija Đorđević has created illustrations with a strong graphic approach, emphasizing the material qualities of textures. This visual counterpart runs through the pages almost physically capturing traces, imprints and scratches of different surfaces, organic and modified. This “geography” introduces an interesting visual dynamic; running parallel to the text it discreetly triggers different associations and juxtapositions within and outside of the narrative.
