Not For A Want of Trying: Bart Luijten

Not For A Want of Trying is an extensive retrospective of the 35-year career of Belgian designer and creative maker Bart Luijten. This comprehensive publication serves as a chronological picture book and historical document, tracing Luijten's profound influence on the Belgian cultural landscape. Spanning 384 pages, the book presents a vibrant explosion of visual material, from iconic music posters for venues like Ancienne Belgique (Brussels, Belgium) and Arenberg & OLT (Antwerp, Belgium) to the avant-garde layout of cult magazines such as Pulp, Plastiks, and Gonzo Circus. The collection expertly balances Luijten's high-profile commercial work for clients like Virgin Records, Lannoo Publishers, and M HKA with his deeply personal independent practice, including intricate collages and illustrations. By showcasing design work that bridges the post-punk and pre-internet eras, the book captures a unique evolution in visual communication. While Luijten's most significant cultural campaigns are front and centre, the selection remains idiosyncratic, offering a rare glimpse into the archives and creative mind of a designer who helped shape the aesthetic identity of a generation. AUTHOR: Bart Luijten (b. 1967) is a Belgian artist and graphic designer whose work has explored the boundaries of visual texture, analogue print, and photographic noise. With a background in graphic design, Luijten is fascinated by the grain in print, film and analogue photography, treating noise as a form of visual information. He collaborates frequently with sculptural and installation practices (for instance with partner Ilse Michiels) and merges analogue textures, collages and conceptual imagery into his work. Luijten's practice is characterised by a tactile and perceptual search: converting visual noise into symbolic form, exploring negative space, and challenging viewers' expectations of image and meaning. SELLING POINTS: . Covers 35 years of work, offering a definitive look at the evolution of Belgian graphic design . It includes iconic work for major cultural institutions like Ancienne Belgique, Pukkelpop, and Virgin Records . It captures the unique visual aesthetics of the 1990s, bridging the gap between analog (post-punk) and digital (pre-internet) design . This book blends commercial design (posters, magazine layouts, book covers) with personal art, collages, and illustrations . A substantial 384-page softcover volume that functions as both a portfolio and a piece of cultural history 421 colour, 131 b/w illustrations