Here's how Robert Newman describes Matt Dorfman in AI-AP "a visual shape shifter whose smart illustrations have graced the pages (and covers) of numerous books and publications, all while working at his “day job” as art director for The New York Times Book Review. Dorfman has used drawing, collage, found objects, creative typography and general graphic creativity to make illustrations for Wired, The New York Times, and The New Yorker, plus a sparkling series of book covers. His artwork is often a mashup of graphic design and illustration, so it’s hard to figure out whether he’s the illustrator or designer of a project (or both). And as an art director Dorfman fills the Book Review every week with sparklingly cool illustrations assigned to a broad array of artists."
I talked with Matt recently about his selection of the best book covers of 2020 for the New York Times Book Review - dissecting his decision-making process and judgement calls. Among other things we discuss the differences between designing the book review and op-ed sections, the delays between creating a jacket design and it appearing in public, dust jackets capturing zeitgeists, the tension between commerce and art, the power of jealousy, gateway drugs John Gaul, David Pearson, and Roy Kuhlman, being haunted by Barbara de Wilde, Carin Goldberg, and Louise Fili, collecting dust jackets, how much our wives hate books, and visual literacy.