I found the physical copy of the photo in this design a long time ago at an antique mall in my hometown. I feel that the photo both elegantly and subtly conveys the sense of loss, despair, and alienation that suffuses Bolaño's masterpiece. The woman's face is turned away from the camera. She is anonymous, like the numerous women who have lost their lives in the dangerous Sonoran border city of Santa Teresa. The ruins that can be seen in the background evoke the bombed out shells of buildings in World War II from "The Part about Archimboldi". Beyond the image, I felt that only an understated typesetting solution was necessary for this to work as a successful book cover.
Client
Self-Led
Year
2021
Role
Design
Tools Used
Adobe Photoshop