Curiosities

We worked on this unique book with Anton and Tom for more than four years. Old American newspapers inspire the book format and typography of the introductions. The photos are alternately page-filling or white-framed, with Waits appearing in various guises as a photogenic character, from starting singer in a dressing room to posing in the American countryside in a rusty Cadillac. Fifty pages have been designed with Waits' work, never before shown, entitled ‘Curiosities.’ Waits himself was closely involved in the design of these pages.

One-time edition of 6,600 books

The book has 272 pages with 226 portraits of Waits that Corbijn has made for 35 years. At the back of the book are 50 pages with a unique collection of musings and photos made by Tom Waits himself with the title ‘Curiosities.’ The linen-bound book contains introductions by film director Jim Jarmusch and music critic Robert Christgau. The edition sits in a specially designed luxury box. One-time edition of 6,600 copies published by Schirmer / Mosel. The book sold out.

Spatial mood board

For four years, we worked intensively on the book with photos from Tom waits by the Dutch portrait photographer Anton Corbijn. But how do you make such a book, and is the collaboration? We created a spatial mood board, as it were, with unique material from Anton Corbijn and Tom Waits himself. An experienced exhibition in which sketch proposals, self-made “shape poems,” personal notes, proofs, and photos are rewarding visual subjects.

Shape poems as posters

During the presentation, we wanted you to be able to look closely at the subjects as if you have involved in the creative process yourself. By printing the different subjects large as posters or framing them as art, you get an extraordinary experience. Two large walls formed the backdrop. Anton Corbijn was interviewed and signed books during the presentation. During the autograph session, the band Orkater / The Sadists played songs by Tom Waits.