Taiyo Onorato & Nico Krebs. Continental Drift
Symbiosis of Photography and Design
This large-format volume by the Swiss photography duo of Taiyo Onorato and Nico Krebs is so meticulously edited and technically mature that book and design interact almost symbiotically. The generally full-bleed photographs are spread across one or two pages, with just the occasional page left blank. Most were taken over a four-year period on journeys through a dozen former Soviet republics. Though the main focus is on landscape and architecture, occasional enigmatic situations and sequences featuring recurring close-ups of faces also create the impression of a narrative without words. Fold-out pages are used to reproduce large landscape formats. The gatefold covers are gilt-mirrored on the inside, while the lengthy colophon - the only text in the book - is stamped on the rear cover page using hot foil. The gold gives the book a hint of luxury and acts as a mirror for the photographed landscapes. An expansive publication of this kind requires space to manufacture and is almost impossible to construct solely on the computer.
