John Morgan studio

A Library of Muses. Window display at @tenderbooks to celebrate the publication of Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses. From Tuesday 3 till Saturday 7 February 12–6pm Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes is available from @artdata_london . For more information visit tenthousandangelspress.com (link in bio). Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses by John Morgan Paperback, 205 × 137 mm, 256 pp Published in January 2026 ISBN 978-1-0682940-1-3 Photo: Richard Bevan

Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses, a new book by John Morgan, is now published and available to order from @artdata_london . Thanks to everyone who joined us last week at @raven__row to celebrate John’s work. Completed shortly before he died in September, the book presents John’s selection of 31 books as Muses. Chosen primarily for their visual appearance and associative value, they are books that have touched him and his work as a book designer in some way or another. Collected together as a Library of Muses, they express all the contradictions and compound sensibilities found in John’s work. The criteria for selection are numerous and variable. Some were chosen for the title alone, or for the colour or materiality of the book, for the feel, the weight, the lightness, the rightness, the wrongness, the modesty, the excess, the charm, the humour, the attitude or bite of a book, the memory it conjures. Each Muse has its own magic and energy. Some bring reverberations of romance, others of fear, anxiety, humour or tragedy. Some are heroic. Some fail in technique or just miss the mark; they are imperfect. Some are chosen as signs, others as votives for direction. Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes is the second title from Ten Thousand Angels Press, a new imprint founded in 2025 by John Morgan, primarily to publish the second edition of his project Usylessly, which explores the non-literary aspects of the 1922 edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, and a long-researched study of the Gallimard Blanche series of books. Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses by John Morgan Paperback, 205 × 137 mm, 256 pp Published in January 2026 ISBN 978-1-0682940-1-3

Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses, a new book by John Morgan, is now available to pre-order from @artdata_london . All orders will be dispatched from the 30 January. Please join us in London on Thursday 29 January to celebrate the launch of the book at Raven Row (@raven__row ) 56 Artillery Lane London E1 7LS on Thursday 29 January 2026, 6.30–8.30pm Completed shortly before he died in September, the book presents John’s selection of 31 books as Muses. Chosen primarily for their visual appearance and associative value, they are books that have touched him and his work as a book designer in some way or another. Collected together as a Library of Muses, they express all the contradictions and compound sensibilities found in John’s work. The criteria for selection are numerous and variable. Some were chosen for the title alone, or for the colour or materiality of the book, for the feel, the weight, the lightness, the rightness, the wrongness, the modesty, the excess, the charm, the humour, the attitude or bite of a book, the memory it conjures. Each Muse has its own magic and energy. Some bring reverberations of romance, others of fear, anxiety, humour or tragedy. Some are heroic. Some fail in technique or just miss the mark; they are imperfect. Some are chosen as signs, others as votives for direction. Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes is the second title from Ten Thousand Angels Press, a new imprint founded in 2025 by John Morgan, primarily to publish the second edition of his project Usylessly, which explores the non-literary aspects of the 1922 edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, and a long-researched study of the Gallimard Blanche series of books. Usylessly, edition two, was published in October 2025 and copies will be available to purchase during the event. Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses by John Morgan Paperback, 205 × 137 mm, 256 pp Published in January 2026 ISBN 978-1-0682940-1-3

Please join us in London on Thursday 29 January to celebrate the launch of Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses, a new book by John Morgan. The event will be held at Raven Row (@raven__row ) 56 Artillery Lane London E1 7LS on Thursday 29 January 2026, 6.30–8.30pm Completed shortly before he died in September, the book presents John’s selection of 31 books as Muses. Chosen primarily for their visual appearance and associative value, they are books that have touched him and his work as a book designer in some way or another. Collected together as a Library of Muses, they express all the contradictions and compound sensibilities found in John’s work. The criteria for selection are numerous and variable. Some were chosen for the title alone, or for the colour or materiality of the book, for the feel, the weight, the lightness, the rightness, the wrongness, the modesty, the excess, the charm, the humour, the attitude or bite of a book, the memory it conjures. Each Muse has its own magic and energy. Some bring reverberations of romance, others of fear, anxiety, humour or tragedy. Some are heroic. Some fail in technique or just miss the mark; they are imperfect. Some are chosen as signs, others as votives for direction. Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes is the second title from Ten Thousand Angels Press, a new imprint founded in 2025 by John Morgan, primarily to publish the second edition of his project Usylessly, which explores the non-literary aspects of the 1922 edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, and a long-researched study of the Gallimard Blanche series of books. Usylessly, edition two, was published in October 2025 and copies will be available to purchase during the event. Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes will be available to order from Art Data (@artdata_london ) from the 30 January 2026. Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses by John Morgan Paperback, 205 × 137 mm, 256 pp Published in January 2026 ISBN 978-1-0682940-1-3

Please join us in the new year to celebrate the launch of Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses, a new book by John Morgan. The event will be held at Raven Row (@raven__row ) 56 Artillery Lane London E1 7LS on Thursday 29 January 2026, 6.30–8.30pm Completed shortly before he died in September, the book presents John’s selection of 31 books as Muses. Chosen primarily for their visual appearance and associative value, they are books that have touched him and his work as a book designer in some way or another. Collected together as a Library of Muses, they express all the contradictions and compound sensibilities found in John’s work. The criteria for selection are numerous and variable. Some were chosen for the title alone, or for the colour or materiality of the book, for the feel, the weight, the lightness, the rightness, the wrongness, the modesty, the excess, the charm, the humour, the attitude or bite of a book, the memory it conjures. Each Muse has its own magic and energy. Some bring reverberations of romance, others of fear, anxiety, humour or tragedy. Some are heroic. Some fail in technique or just miss the mark; they are imperfect. Some are chosen as signs, others as votives for direction. Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes is the second title from Ten Thousand Angels Press, a new imprint founded in 2025 by John Morgan, primarily to publish the second edition of his project Usylessly, which explores the non-literary aspects of the 1922 edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, and a long-researched study of the Gallimard Blanche series of books. Usylessly, edition two, was published in October 2025 and copies will be available to purchase during the event. Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes will be available to order from Art Data (@artdata_london ) from the 30 January 2026. Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses by John Morgan Paperback, 205 × 137 mm, 256 pp Published in January 2026 ISBN 978-1-0682940-1-3

Dominique González-Foerster, Alienarium (with John Morgan) (tapis de lecture), 2025, at Albarrán Bourdais’s booth at Frieze London 2025. Alienarium (with John Morgan) is part of the ‘Reading Carpets’ series, where the artist constructs a space through the presence of books from her personal bibliography, infused with literary references and associations. Here the books are not physically arranged but embroidered directly onto the tapestry, which itself reproduces a carpet from her personal collection. Alienarium (with John Morgan) features several book covers designed by John Morgan: The Picture of Dorian Gray, Treasure Island and The Prisoner of Zenda from the Four Corners Familiars series (published by Four Corners Books), the book and exhibition guide for Alienarium 5 (designed for the artist and Serpentine) and John’s own Usylessly, edition one. Edition two of Usylessly is published by Ten Thousand Angels Press (@tenthousandangelspress ) and is available to order from Art Data (@artdata_london ). Photos by Dominique González-Foerster (@okigonster ) and Florence Meunier (@florence.meunier ) @albarran.bourdais @frieze.london @fourcornersbooks @serpentineuk

Usylessly, edition two, at the binders, summer 2025. Photos by Sergio Brunelli (@veronalibri ). Available from Art Data (@artdata_london ). For more information visit tenthousandangelspress.com (link in bio). Usylessly, edition two by John Morgan Texts by Edward L. Bishop and John Morgan Paperback, 240 × 195 mm, 120 pages Published in October 2025 Edition limited to 2,000 copies, each copy numbered ISBN 978-1-0682940-0-6

We are pleased to announce the launch of Ten Thousand Angels Press, a new publishing imprint founded in 2025 by John Morgan, primarily to publish the second edition of his project Usylessly, which explores the non-literary aspects of the 1922 edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses. As of 1 October 2025 the book is available to purchase. Upcoming titles include Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses, completed shortly before John died, and a long-researched study of the Gallimard Blanche series of books. Published in December 2021, Usylessly, edition one, is the result of a close observation of the blue cover and form of the first edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses. The book duplicates the size, bulk and appearance of the 1922 Shakespeare & Co. edition. Everything but the text. At the heart of the mostly blank 736-page book is a printed 64-page section containing two essays written 27 years apart by Edward L. Bishop. ‘Re-Covering Ulysses’, explores the ‘non-literary’ aspects of the book. ‘Ulysses Blue’, starts its journey in the archive of the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas with over 40 copies of the 1922 edition and follows Morgan and Bishop on the quest for the blue cover. This first edition is out of print since February 2022. This new edition contains the two essays by Edward L. Bishop with an additional visual essay, ‘Kind of Blue’ by John Morgan. The aim of this second edition is to make the essays available again. Unlike edition one, edition two does not recreate the form of James Joyce’s 1922 Shakespeare & Co. edition. The book is available from Art Data (@artdata_london ). For more information visit tenthousandangelspress.com (link in bio). Usylessly, edition two by John Morgan Texts by Edward L. Bishop and John Morgan Paperback, 240 × 195 mm, 120 pages Published in October 2025 Edition limited to 2,000 copies, each copy numbered ISBN 978-1-0682940-0-6

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of John Morgan, who died on 2 September 2025, in his library, surrounded by his family and his books. He was 52. John was a devoted husband to Claire and a proud father to Rudy, Francis and Iris. He was the cherished son of Bob and Maureen, and a much-loved brother to Jane. In 2000 John founded John Morgan studio in London where he developed a widely celebrated body of typographic work that was quietly radical: elegantly simple, powerfully expressive. His creativity also extended to theatre and film, with projects including Blank Dummy and Julie. In 2017 he co-founded the digital type foundry Abyme. Alongside his practice, John was a dedicated teacher. He lectured at institutions including Central Saint Martins and the University of Reading, where he taught on the MA Book Design course from 2007–2016. Since 2016 he was Professor of Design, Typography and Book Art at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he established Klasse John Morgan. Those who knew John remember an uncommon honesty and steadiness. He held his course with strength and humility – ‘so strong and so mild’, as one friend put it. His integrity bred a rare trust, and when making design decisions many colleagues would find themselves asking, ‘What would John do?’ He was a mentor and a friend, connecting people and giving form to words and work for nearly 30 years. Books were central to John’s life. His own book Usylessly, which explores the non-literary aspects of the 1922 edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, was published in December 2021. In 2025 he set up the publishing imprint Ten Thousand Angels Press. Its first title, Usylessly (edition two), will be published later this year, followed by Baskerville’s Teardrop Explodes: A Selection of Books as Muses, completed shortly before he died. A funeral will take place in John’s Oxfordshire village on 11 September 2025. On that day, we invite those who knew and loved him to take a moment to reflect and remember his life. Messages of condolence and support for John’s family can be sent to [email protected] John Morgan 6 January 1973–2 September 2025 Photo: Elisabeth Scheder-Bieschin

John Morgan, Penelope?, postcard, 2024. Statue of Penelope, Sala delle Muse, Vatican Museums. First century CE. Original: mid C5 BCE. Photograph c.1890 On one of the walls in his apartment on Universitätsstrasse, Zürich, James Joyce pinned a photograph of a Greek statue of Penelope. ‘My own idea,’ said Joyce, ‘is that she is trying to recollect what Ulysses looks like.’ (Frank Budgen, James Joyce and the Making of Ulysses). Contribution to a postcard book made by Robin Waart after: Wörthersee, Wörtersee — Group exhibition, curated by Robin Waart Works by Patrícia Almeida, Maria Anwander, Daniela Comani, Josef Dabernig, Claire Fontaine, Hermann Gabler, Hermann Gabler, Dora García, Irena Haiduk, Iman Issa, Ana Jotta, Marijn van Kreij, John Morgan, Kay Rosen, Hans Schabus, Lena Sieder-Semlitsch, John Stezaker, Mitchell Thar #patríciaalmeida @mariaanwander @danielacomani @jdabernig @foreignerseverywhere #hermanngabler @irena.haiduk #imanissa @marijnvankreij @johnmorganstudio @kayrosenstudio @hansschabus @lenasiedersemlitsch #johnstezaker @mitchthar @robinwaart anaanajottajotta dora_garcia_lopez

Alienarium 5. Album/book designed by John Morgan studio for friend and Düsseldorf colleague Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster. Book signing and launch today – 24.2.24 – 17h Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris. #exotourisme #alienarium5 #dominiquegonzalezfoerster #hansulrichobrist #paulbpreciado #tatianakontou #enriquevilamatas #claudeadjil #stephaniemoisdon #katewong @dominiquegonzalezfoerster @johnmorganstudio @serpentineuk @hansulrichobrist @perez_sound @exotourisme5 @galeriechantalcrousel @estherschippergallery @corvimora @jan.mot.brussels @303gallery @albarran.bourdais @camillagreenwell @hugoglendinning

Dear Jost. A view from England. A talk by John Morgan in a series of talks to celebrate Jost Hochuli’s 90th birthday. Tuesday 21 November, 2023 St Gallen, Switzerland Photo: A still from Blank Dummy, a film by John Morgan, 2011 Raum für Literatur Dienstag, 21.11.2023, 18:15 – 19:45 Eintritt frei Öffentliches Programm der Universität St.Gallen (HSG) John Morgan, Typograf, Oxford / GB, sowie Professor für Entwurf, Typografie und Buchkunst, Kunstakademie Düsseldorf / DE Jost Hochuli ist seit über 60 Jahren als Grafiker und Buchgestalter tätig. Zur hohen Zeit der ausgebildet, hat er bald zu einem eigenen Ausdruck gefunden, ohne ideologische Vorgaben und Zwänge. Das hat er im In- und Ausland weitergegeben und ist vielfach ausgezeichnet worden. Zu seinem 90. Geburtstag sprechen er selbst, Weggefährten, Schülerinnen und Schüler über sein Werk und ihre eigene Auseinandersetzung mit dem Thema Buchgestaltung. Öffentliches Programm der Universität St.Gallen (HSG)