how to make a book

On Wednesday, I saw How to Make a Book with Steidl, a documentary on Gerhard Steidl, a publisher and printer.  Steidl is a technician and craftsman with a strong aesthetic eye.  He shows us the art of printing, as it should be, taking careful consideration for the feel of the paper, the colors of the ink, and the smell of the page.  In the film, we see him collaborating with such artists as Jeff Wall, the usually reclusive Robert Frank, and Robert Adams, as he visits them in their studios and has tea in their homes.  John Cohen supplies much of the soundtrack.