Paul Kuimet - Notes on Space. Monumental Painting in Estonia 1947

The English revised edition of Notes on Space, which was first published in Estonian as a collaboration involving Lugemik and Theatre NO99 in 2012 to celebrate Tõnis Saadoja’s ceiling painting in Theatre NO99. The English edition is a concise summary of the monumental paintings, supergraphics, and art realised in mosaic technique in mainly Soviet-era Estonia. An essay and short descriptions of all 94 depicted monumental works written by art historian Gregor Taul accompany Paul Kuimet’s detailed photographs. The book gives an overview of art in the public space in Estonia before the percentage law came into force, of the Soviet-era “synthesis of the arts” and the fate of the works in the working class lunch rooms, cultural houses and apartment buildings under capitalism.

The design of the publication is similar – but not identical – to the Estonian-language edition published five years earlier. Both are large format books, printed in black and white and set in Literaturnaya, a popular Soviet typeface. The photographs in the English edition are printed in duo-tone, providing more detail and depth. The dust jacket of Notes on Space features several of the photographs included in the publication, the larger part of the front of the dust jacket depicting the ceiling painting by Tõnis Saadoja – the starting point for the whole project.

Else Lagerspetz & Loore Sundja

Compiled and edited by Gregor Taul, Paul Kuimet, Ingrid Ruudi, Anu Vahtra
Texts by Gregor Taul
Photos by Paul Kuimet
220 × 290 mm
 144 pp 
Duotone Offset printing
Perfect binding
Dust jacket
 In English 
Graphic design: Indrek Sirkel 
Colour correction: Marje Eelma 
Typeface: Literaturnaya
 Paper: Galerie Art Volume 135g, Munken Lynx Rough 300g
 Printed by Tallinn Book Printers 
Supported by Cultural Endowment of Estonia
 Edition of 400
 ISBN 9978-9949-9934-7-5
Published by Lugemik
2017

Compiled and edited by Gregor Taul, Paul Kuimet, Ingrid Ruudi, Anu Vahtra
Texts by Gregor Taul
Photos by Paul Kuimet
220 × 290 mm
 144 pp 
Duotone Offset printing
Perfect binding
Dust jacket
 In English 
Graphic design: Indrek Sirkel 
Colour correction: Marje Eelma Typeface: Literaturnaya
 Paper: Galerie Art Volume 135g, Munken Lynx Rough 300g
 Printed by Tallinn Book Printers Supported by Cultural Endowment of Estonia
 Edition of 400
 ISBN 9978-9949-9934-7-5
Published by Lugemik
2017

01 / 19

Photos: Anu Vahtra
Book description: Else Lagerspetz & Loore Sundja, written for Published by Lugemik. Printed matter from 2010–2019