Book Review: Jean Jullien by Jean Jullien

Reviewed by Kamryn Kronschnabel, Patron Services Librarian

Look at that adorable stick-figure face on the cover of Jean Jullien. Don’t you dare try to tell me you didn’t crack a smile when you saw it.

 

This review, unlike the majority of my others, will be brief. This chunky book collects many projects and pieces by the French artist Jean Jullien, along with some essays written about him by his contemporaries and a few interviews with him and his family. The essays are alright but don’t take up many pages in and of themselves – where this book really shines is in the prints of his artwork. Jullien’s style is, generally speaking, simple and quirky, and it’s depicted across a surprising variety of mediums. There’s something vaguely humorous about a good chunk of his pieces, including gems like the backs of heads in train seats or a man whose cell phone has given him a tan outline by his ear, and the collection felt like it gave me a nice boost of serotonin. It struck me as one of the rare art books where the whimsical nature didn’t get lost when printed onto a page, and I really valued and appreciated it for that.

 

If you’re interested in checking out Jean Jullien to explore his art for yourself, it’s available at Charles City Public Library – call us at 641-257-6319 or stop by to see our copy today.