Father Anthony Hutjes
2007
‘A Catholic View On Marriage + Sexuality’ is a book which logically and systematically brings to light the Catholic perspective on both marriage and sexuality, based on Pope John Paul II’s ‘Theology of the Body’.
In an attempt to reiterate the subject matter’s various levels of meaning, it was considered if there was a cover image which could be ‘multi-representational’: from the idea of two bodies becoming one and the procreation of a new being, to the concept of Holy Communion, to the circular bread which represents the Body of Christ and finally the embodiment of the Holy Spirit through the union of two people. Furthermore, as the book is primarily targeted at young couples, the cover had to appear modern and relevant, in stark contrast to many Christian books which usually look stuffy and outdated.
H55’s response was to create a visual metaphor, showing two circular bodies in communion (one in a bluish and the other in a pinkish tone) on the front cover, while the back cover shows how a new colour is formed when the two shapes merge completely.
Instead of limiting the cover to a single message, the abstract shapes proved to be effective in communicating the various meanings to a variety of people.
