ABOUT FOAM MAGAZINE:
Foam Magazine focuses on photography, and it is published thrice a year by Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam.
I will analyze Order Issue #51: SEER/BELIEVER.
THE COVER:
The cover has a masthead - 'foam' written in white, rounded letters at the top of the page. 'international photography magazine' is written right under the title. The cover also contains a tagline: 'PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR', written in a circle below the masthead on the right side of the cover. The main cover line is written on the lower part of the page, it is also the title of the issue - "SEER/BELIEVER". There is also a cover line - 'The Mythical Issue', which presents the main theme of the magazine. The number of the issue is also written on the cover, in the top right corner. There is no date on the magazine, nor is there a price or barcode (the barcode is, however, on the back cover of the magazine). The image on the cover is of a woman, she wears a furry brown coat and the upper part of her head is white. The image has a paranormal feeling to it, tying in with the theme of the issue, as the word 'seer' illustrates a person of supposed supernatural insight. The model is not credited on the cover.
THE TABLE OF CONTENTS:
There is a table of contents that is set on the first two pages following the cover. It has an interesting structure, as on the first page there is a list of contents regarding 'Focus Essays', and on the second one the list of contents is about 'Portfolios'. The page numbers are in ascending order, but it should be noted that the articles are mixed up - as in, you may see two articles from 'Focus Essays', followed by one from 'Portfolios' and so on. There are small photographs around the page, with the page number where you can find them written underneath. The title of the magazine, issue number, contact information, subscription and the word 'Contents' are not to be found anywhere on these two pages - this, however, does not make the magazine seem to be made in poor taste, and instead, it gives it a minimalistic and organized feeling.
There is an editor's note on the third page - it is about half a page long and it talks about questioning the author's character, seeing and believing, fact and fiction, & framing things that seem impossible or irrational.
After the editor's note, there is a page where 'SEER BELIEVER' is written in pink, wavy letters on a red background.
The following page is another table of contents - on this page, there is 'Contents' written on top, as well as the page number. The articles are grouped in two categories: Featured and Seer/Believer. The name of the texts are written right next to the page, as well as the author of the text.
THE MAGAZINE ARTICLES:
The general article page features an artist, an image of his artwork, and a text.
Up on the page, there is the page number and an artist's name. The headline consists of the name of the series or artwork of said artist, and below the headline there is a photo from the series/ a photo of the artwork.
The text is structured into three columns. In the introduction, the author presents a general overview of the artist's work, and then the main text goes into more detail about the meaning and the intentions and thought process of the artist.
On the bottom right side of the page, there is a credit to the artist.
The articles are split by different types of art - some paintings, drawings, mix media compositions or photographs. There are also double-spreds, they usually consist of photography art.
Thoughts:
- I really like the simplicity of the masthead, and the font in which the title of the issue is written. I also like how the first Table of Contents looks, because it breaks the convention of an 'orderly' table of contents.
- I would not like the same article/editorial layout for my magazine, because I feel like it would not go with the general aesthetic appearance that I am aiming for.
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