Book Description
Karel Marten's work occupies a unique place in the present European art and design landscape. While working in the tradition of Dutch modernism, he maintains distance from the main developments of his time: from both the practices of routinized Modernism and the facile reactions against it. His work is personal and experimental, while at the same time publicly answerable. This book presents Martens graphic design oeuvre in reproductions of startling fidelity, and described in informal captions. Printed on uncoated paper and Chinese-bound, the book itself has a compelling tactile quality. For this long-awaited second edition, twenty-four pages have been added to cover Marten's most recent work.
Customer Reviews:
beautiful presentation.......2002-12-02
This book presents a compilation of work from a contemporary Dutch graphic designer/typographer, Karl Martens. It also displays some work from his students. The written portion is quite minimal (as it should be). Most of the book concentrates on the visual, presenting both the raw, unfinished processes and sketches to the finalized, published work of Martens. If you like typography, book binding, page layouts, grid structures, you will love looking at this book. The book itself has a handmade feel to it. it even looks like the text and pictures are printed on inkjet printer and the pages are folded odd and even pages to make double sided spreads. I recommend this--to especially students and faculty at RISD.
Book Description
An iconic collection of design work presented in fresh and useful format.
Designers are conceptual pack rats. They pack as much raw material in their brains as possible and then use that to build their own unique designs. The Anatomy of Design is what, in the butcher business, they call a "side of beef." The authors selected fifty examples of graphic design that will be dissected, piece by piece, tissue by tissue, revealing an array of influences and inspirations. These are not necessarily the most well-known or celebrated objects of graphic design, though many contain the genetic codes of some canonical works. Instead, these represent contemporary artifacts that are well conceived, finely crafted, and filled with hidden treasures. Some are overtly complex and their influences are somewhat easy to see with the naked eye. Others are so simple that it is hard to believe there is a storehouse of inspiration hidden underneath.
The selections include all kinds of design work including posters, book and record covers, packages, catalog covers, and more. Each exhibit is selected based on its ubiquity, thematic import, and aesthetic significance, and every page is a means to show how great work is derived from various inspirational and physical sources, some well-known, some unknown. Each design is presented on a gate-fold showing the featured design and and other works that share the key influences with extended captions explaining the whys and wherefores.
Customer Reviews:
The title could've been "The Evolution of Design".......2007-08-08
This is a great book, especially for referencing. Beautifully designed! As for the title I truely believe "The Evolution of Design" would've been more appropriate, especially while referencing to the earliest documents containing that particular object, artifact or style and its transcendence to what the subjects' conceived graphic design has "evolved" to.
True as stated in the preface, "These are not necessarily the best-known or celebrated objects of graphic design, though many contain the genetic codes or canonical works. Instead, they represent some visible and a few obscure relatively contemporary artifacts that are well conceived...", there could've been other, more successful pieces on the table for dissection, yet the specimens selected are exceptional!
Lots of nice pictures..........2007-05-16
That's all well and good, but it lacks a textual narrative. The fold-out pages are a nice novelty for 'docovering' the apparent lineage of the feaured images, but do grow tiresome - and crease very quickly without undue care. Good for inspiration but not great.
Bad cover, good book.......2007-05-12
Honestly, I haven't had the time to actually read this book yet. But the hundreds of examples they give for specific styles of design make this book amazing in itself. I've never owned a book that has so many examples of quality design. The cool part is that the examples actually pertain to specific pieces; there supposed to be the works that specific graphic designers drew inspiration from to create a certain their work. Basicly, you flip the page and there's an example of a good piece of graphic design. Then you unfold the page to see what works that piece drew inspiration from. It's really interesting. Every single page opens up, giving you twice the amount of content, so your getting a good deal. *There's a section that has some rather explicit graphics in it so this isn't a kids book.* Overload of quality design; couldn't ask for more in a book.
Great for students!.......2007-03-20
This book is great for seeing a designer's though process. It opens up endless doors for creative minds. We need to start pushing the envelope!
A New Kind Of Art Book Is An Endless Visual And Intellectual Feast.......2007-02-15
This is a visual equivalent of Bartlett's Quotations - with an ingenious analytical presentation. It is full of interesting ideas and enough content to last for a lifetime. Aside from being tremendously enjoyable to anyone like myself who is interested in the graphic arts, it looks like it gives a full course in graphic design and the history of visual art. The generous, non-stop foldouts are ingenious and every one of them is filled with fascinating images and commentary. It wouldn't surprise me if this work, aimed apparently at graphic designers, became a best seller simply as a new kind of art book.
Average customer rating:
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Edward Hopper: A Catalogue Raisonne
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ASIN: 039303786X |
Book Description
The definitive, complete catalogue of Edward Hopper's oils, watercolors, and illustrations published in a magnificent three-volume boxed set.
First published in 1995 at $750 and now available at one-third that price, this extraordinary collection includes essays on Hopper's place in American art, all his illustration work, 350 watercolors, 360 oils, related texts, and an easy-to-reference Windows CD with provenance, bibliographies, exhibition histories, and excerpts from the artist's own sketchbooks. 3 volumes boxed with Windows CD. 1,500 illustrations, 600 in color.
Customer Reviews:
Better Values Elsewhere.......2007-09-05
If you love Edward Hopper and must have the complete works, you'll buy this regardless of what I say. But if you are just a fan and want to see a bio and highlights there are better compendiums out there. While these books are bound well, the paper could be better quality as could the color reproduction. The biggest drawback is that the books don't lie flat for better viewing.
Again, if you want the complete, historical Edward Hopper - I'd consider this. But for the money and for someone who just admires his more popular works, there are better, and less expensive choices.
Book Description
The Black Panther Party for Self Defense, formed in the aftermath of the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, remains one of the most controversial movements of the 20th-century. Founded by the charismatic Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, the party sounded a defiant cry for an end to the institutionalized subjugation of African Americans. The Black Panther newspaper was founded to articulate the party's message and artist Emory Douglas became the paper's art director and later the party's Minister of Culture. Douglas's artistic talents and experience proved a powerful combination: his striking collages of photographs and his own drawings combined to create some of the era's most iconic images, like that of Newton with his signature beret and large gun set against a background of a blood-red star, which could be found blanketing neighborhoods during the 12 years the paper existed. This landmark book brings together a remarkable lineup of party insiders who detail the crafting of the party's visual identity.
Customer Reviews:
VERNACULAR SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-31
Sometimes when images from newspapers or TV are taken out of context they can fall flat out of meaning or context. Not so for the revolutionary work of Emory Douglas. Douglas who was the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party from 1968-1980 and it's weekly newspaper artist amassed more works for the paper in a short period than most artists in a lifetime. But quantity is not the focus here but quality, growth and diversity. Emory Douglas is a prolific artist; his one page pieces included in the Black Panther newspaper were captivating and profoundly moved individuals all over the world no matter what language they spoke. His work has influenced every generation of artists/writers/activists who found their way into his work. It is interesting to note that while Emory's finished work was incredibly elaborate looking his tools of choice were simple pen, marker, tape and paper. His palette always represented and reflected the working class.
Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas focuses on many of Emory's best works and includes forward and texts from former Panther Chairman Bobby Seale, Kathleen Cleaver, Amiri Baraka (still NJ Poet-Lauriat in my book)and Danny Glover among a few.
A definite must for anyone and everyone!!!!!!!
Black Panther Art.......2007-05-23
This is a must-have for the Black Panther memorabilia collector, the African American art collector or any great art book lover's collection! A beautiful and unique book. The pages are printed on a paper that really makes it look like the original Black Panther papers. I love this book.
Book Description
An outspoken voice in the world of graphic design for more than twenty years, Paul Scher has developed a worldwide reputation for her bold, modern graphics and her incisive critiques of the design profession.
Customer Reviews:
great resource from a legend.......2007-09-08
A great read for anyone who is ready to make the jump from art school to working clients. Scher goes into excellent detail about working with illustrators, the structure (and politics) of agency work, her strategies/approach to design. She also shares good insight on how to work most effectively with clients who may not know a whole lot about design. I found this very practical, and a very easy read. I am also a big fan of her work, which spans several decades.
Vunderbar.......2004-10-26
Paul Scher hit me. No, literally. On a student tour of the Koppel/Scher offices, I was standing by a closet--Paula flung the door open and I provided the rubber stop. Though it's been a struggle, the last 12 years have softened my emotional pain. Make It Bigger provided some very necessary closure.
Also, trust whatever Randy Silverman (a previous reviewer) says about anything, especially anything concerning design. Frighteningly insightful.
Scher Brilliance!.......2004-01-20
I have to say I'm not a big "fan" of Paula Scher's visual style, it's far too "horsey" and "big-boned" for my taste, but I am a fan of what she has to say about the design profession and her experience in it.
This book is an excellent reference/story book on the frustrations of dealing with clients (which are many, as I can relate) who have poor taste or are just clueless. I agree with everything Paula says here and enjoyed the grain of salt with all that's said. I can feel the frustration and exasperation Paula speaks of as anyone worth their blood has designed something great, only to have a client with tunnel vision ruin it. Sigh.
Any serious designer should read this book, or already has. I would have no problem calling anyone who hasn't read it a poseur in this profession!
A Must for Those Who Need to Understand Working with Clients.......2003-03-18
Too often designers see their own result(s) and design solutions without the knowledge of the 'client process' . . . a truly remarkable reality in this business. ALL design students should be made aware of this aspect of the profession, possibly even before seriously considering if one wants to be a designer. There is so much more to it than having an 'AHA' on one's own. Ms. Scher has presented this in a manner both pictorially and honestly with examples and explanations . . . and, of course, with much experience in the real world of design (which must also include some humor). I have been a designer for thirty years and would recommend this as part of required reading from the start for future "wannabes" and for all of us who need that reassurance that this is indeed how it works.
Make it Bigger is Best.......2002-12-11
Many kudos to Paula Scher on her wonderful new book, Make It Bigger. Not being a designer myself, I am especially appreciative of Make It Bigger's informative descriptions of the negotiation process that goes on between the designer and the client. It helped put into perspective for me that invisible "something" that exists when a breakthrough piece of graphic art emerges. Besides the creative, visual flash of a challenging image, each graphic art object that survives the editorial process gives off an optimism that must be something akin to those first aviators who believed in flight, despite gravity and the conventions of rational wisdom.
Make it Bigger also represents (to the best of my knowledge) the first publishers' edition binding to be produced as a tight back, breaking a run of hollow-back edition bindings dating back to the inception of the genre, c.1820. While I'm sure most folks will be impressed with the edge printing (which is very slick), and the wonderful layout, the book's physical structure (which is something akin to a mechanized Bradel binding) breaks all kinds of ground. (I would have loved to have seen the discussions that must gone on between the author and the binder!).
In addition to its unique packaging and stunning visual presentation, Make It Bigger is the most entertaining work on graphic art I've ever read. Scher's writing style is honest, accessible, and absolutely absorbing, as are her candor, her humor, and most of all her precocious creativity. I cannot say enough to convey my sincere admiration for this wonderful book.
Randy Silverman
Preservation Librarian
Book Description
Steve Tolleson's approach to design might best be described as scientific: it involves relentless research in which every element of a project—down to its letterforms—is subject to rigorous study through almost imperceptible permutations. The end results of this process are designs that are meticulously executed, sometimes cerebral, but never without emotion and wit. ?
Soak Wash Rinse Spin investigates the cycles of the Tolleson Design creative process through a textual and graphic layering of information involving four phases: research (the intake of as much information as they can gather), collaboration (with the client and with the other members of the creative team), visual exploration (the workbook process, which includes refinements and the examination of multiple options), and environmental influences (consideration of the ultimate purpose of the solution).
Customer Reviews:
good for designer.......2007-07-12
it's a little expensive but it's worthy when i got it. very good book for graphic designer.
W O W.......2005-03-15
This compilation of tolleson design work is just amazing. the book features a lot of their best works and is very inspirational. definately worth buying, and its expensive, in fact, its really affordable, making it even more worthwhile ;)
A superb collection of inspiring design.......2003-06-13
I was a bit concerned about buying this book after reading complaints about type size, but after some debating I decided to just buy this book and decide for myself... and I'm glad that I did. Sure the type is small and a bit hard to read. But there are only significant ammounts of type on the first twenty pages. The majority of the remaining 268 pages contain mostly images. Some pages contain no type at all, other than page numbers.
This one gets 5 well deserved stars. Forget the type complaints and pick up a copy of this valuable addition to any designer's book collection.
Beauty in Imperfection.......2002-07-22
Soak Wash Rinse Spin's typesetting forces you to stop reading after too few pages. You really want to dig in but are quickly demoralized into putting it down.
Sagmeister's, "Made you look" was studied in wonder over a 10 hour session immediately after opening the package. I had never heard of him and i was quickly converted into a believer, all other scheduled items became secondary. Long lines of sans serif tiny type are the only thing that stopped this book from having an impact of similar strength.
An unrelated note, within one week, the binding cracked.
One research misjudgement on my part was to assume the book was published very recently and included their newest projects (see tolleson.com) It was published in 2000 of course, some projects have glimmers of past trends.
Nothing compares to the sheer visual firepower Tolleson blasts with both barrels. There is a beautiful logic flowing with every peice and you feel drawn into the scientific precision of the studio's creative process.
A printer's eye glass would be a fun attachment to assist in reading this book, which despite it's flaws is a proud part of my collection.
What's the point of this size?.......2002-04-19
This is a portfolio of work that is always interesting and often beautiful. The approach is as stimulating as the work and, sadly, this is where the book is done a great disservice by the size of the type. It is simply too small to read comfortably and seems to invite its dismissal. Everything seems irrelevant- small type not intended to be read because it's not important. It's unnecessary and unforgivable- an elementary folly that made me question the whole book.
Book Description
Swiss graphic design and “the Swiss Style” are crucial elements in the history of modernism. During the 1920s and ’30s, skills traditionally associated with Swiss industry, particularly pharmaceuticals and mechanical engineering, were matched by those of the country’s graphic designers, who produced their advertising and technical literature. These pioneering graphic artists saw design as part of industrial production and searched for anonymous, objective visual communication. They chose photographic images rather than illustration, and typefaces that were industrial-looking rather than those designed for books.
Written by noted design authority Richard Hollis, this lavishly illustrated volume looks at the uniquely clear graphic language developed by such Swiss designers as Theo Ballmer, Max Bill, Adrian Frutiger, Karl Gerstner, Armin Hoffman, Ernst Keller, Herbert Matter, Josef Müller-Brockmann, and Jan Tschichold. The style of these artists received worldwide admiration for its formal discipline: images and text were organized by geometrical grids. Adopted internationally, the grid and sans serif typefaces such as Helvetica became the classic emblems of Swiss graphic design.
Showcasing design work across a range of media, including posters, magazines, exhibition displays, brochures, advertisements, books, and film, this essential book shows how many of the Swiss designers’ modernist elements remain an indispensable part of today’s graphic language.
Customer Reviews:
Swiss Graphic Design.......2007-06-27
This is a nice, well made book. It's a great reference for designers or art directors that need to put a Swiss spin on things.
Tineline confusion.......2007-03-01
Hollis's book, while extensive in its documentation and admirable in its visual organization of the Swiss developments, comes to several conclusions which should be questioned. The first is the disproportionate and misguided prominence afforded Theo Ballmer as a prime influence stemming from his experience at the Bauhaus. Whatever Ballmer's influence as a poster designer in the 20s was, he had gotten his essential training in the Basel school, which underwent its own ongoing and largely independent modernist development, prior to Ballmer's very brief time at the Bauhaus. The Bauhaus influence is deemed minor by the emerging Basel school, and Ballmer's later influence in teaching photography and lettering has to be considered a lesser one.
Significant also is the confusion in reporting influences in development of the cutting edge Geigy Pharmaceuticals graphics program where the influences of Armin Hofmann and Emil Ruder as educators of the leading Geigy designers are missing. While this is inferred on page 162 in the statement that "the Geigy style originated in the teaching at the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule," the key influences in Basel--Hofmann and Ruder--are not mentioned.
Similarly, Hollis attributes Müller-Brockman's "conversion" to the influences of Lohse and Vivarelli, the evidence being the concert hall posters of 1951 and 52. While this is definitely a move in that direction from an earlier illustrative style, the most convincing change, and the style by which Müller-Brockman is widely known, emerged on the hiring of graduates of the Basel school under Armin Hofmann in 1955. This means that Hofmann and Ruder pre-date Müller-Brockman's mature style instead of being placed as p. 214 as a separate and later development--and not as a precursor feeding the larger Swiss development from a more humanistic perspective than the more constructivist direction of the Zürich school. One can argue about which contributed most to the international prominence of Swiss design, but Hollis's own statement p. 215 regarding the world-wide significance of Hofmann's Graphic Design Manual, Principles and Practice, on education is telling. Müller-Brockman's more objective approach was probably more influential in the world of corporate graphics.
Hollis betrays a bias, perhaps, in his strange analysis of Hofmann's Tell poster and omits such key poster achievements as the "Switzerland in the Roman Era" (1957). It is unfortunate that Hollis did not interview Armin and Dorothea Hofmann. They are few of the remaining key figures from the era of Hollis's investigation.
To go boldly with Helvetica.......2007-02-28
The 'Swiss style' comes alive in this fascinating and very comprehensive study. If you design for print and ever wondered how some everyday graphic principles and typefaces originated the answer is in these pages. The story begins in twenties central Europe with a merging of modern art, the Bauhaus, Russian constructivism, craft printing techniques, photography and strong cultural attitudes in German speaking Zurich. All of these influences produced a graphic language of simplicity and directness that spread across Switzerland and one would expect nothing less from a country associated with order and precision.
Interesting as the text is I was particularly impressed with the several hundred illustrations (all with extensive captions) and as this is a book about a visual style and basically a printed one the choice of posters, examples of typography and many spreads from brochures, magazines, books all work well to complement the words.
I was interested in the several pages devoted to the magazine 'Neue Grafik' (New Graphic Design) which was the flagship publication of the Zurich modernists. It only ran for seventeen issues (from 1958 to a double issue seventeen and eighteen in 1965) but was really the only opportunity for designers outside Switzerland to see what was going on. Strangely, despite the design aiming for clarity, reading the issues was a bit of a chore. Three languages were set in each edition in one typeface and one size with paragraphs stretching sometimes to hundreds of words with no par indents or line space. However each spread looked fresh and lively thanks to the publication's grid.
I think it is worth commenting on the book's production. Designed by the author it uses a two column grid but nicely many pages just have one column of text and the space for the other text column is divided into two and used for illustrations and captions. The many variations of these column elements really make the pages sparkle and I think many publication designers could learn something by studying how the text and graphics blend together throughout the book.
Richard Hollis is to be congratulated on writing and designing a book that will surely be regarded as the definitive study about the origins of the Swiss Style.
***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.
Book Description
Our special today is a tasty treat called May I Take Your Order? Brimming with classic restaurant menus from the roaring '20s through the fabulous '50s, May I Take Your Order? is the first book to feature this hot new collectible and design resource with hundreds of color reproductions. Author Jim Heimann showcases 250 original menus from all kinds of restaurants, including roadside diners à la Route 66, theme restaurants (travel, Western-style, celebrity eateries), five-star restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and cafés. With menus and vintage photographs from some of the greatest dining establishments of the era, this survey of a popular artform offers an uncommon perspective on design in the early half of the century -- as well as a glimpse of prices and culinary preferences of yesteryear. From the elegance of Art Nouveau to playful Art Deco designs to the ultra-modernism of the late Ô50s, this is an exciting new y'nd for artists, designers, and restaurateurs looking for ideas and inspiration.
Customer Reviews:
Good reference.......2003-04-09
As a designer, I consider this a must-have as a visual reference, though incomplete because of it's general lack of interior art. I suspect the cover art is prevalent because of it's appeal to collectors. Well-designed presentation by Jim Heimann. Glad to have it, but I want to see more.
Excellent historical book inspires journey down memory lane!.......2001-02-16
As the author of "Restaurant China, Identification & Value Guide for Restaurant, Airline, Ship & Railroad Dinnerware, Volume 1 and Volume 2," I was delighted when I received this excellent historical resource. The 1000+ priceless photographs, along with difficult to document dates and locations are most appreciated. In addition, it is a pleasure to simply page through Jim Heimann's books and imagine life as it was in days gone by.
Great Book..........1999-01-16
I thought the book was great, but I was hoping it would show more of menu interiors rather than the covers/exteriors. While folks can show you excerpts from text...it's a bit harder when you are buying a book for the images.
Book Description
The Art of Rebellion 2 features an up to the minute international survey of street art, spotlighting dozens of new and unknown protagonists alongside many well known and respected artists who have been at it for years. Since the publication of the first volume, there has been a surge in street art activity and a growing awareness of the art form in the public eye; this volume takes the reader on a lush visual journey through that artistic explosion and features tons of new work with original styles, techniques and intent. The book also presents a selection of the best exhibitions & collaborations between artists and apparel and fashion brands. Featured Artists include: Miss Van, Kid Acne, Faile, Blek le Rat, El Pussycat, Jon Burgerman, Heavyweight, L'Atlas, Zevs, DOMA, Erosie, Thundercut, Skewville, Derrick Hodgson, Koralie, Inkunstruction, Adam Neate, Darius & Downey, Dan Witz, Asbestos, Dave the Chimp and many others all brought to life through photos, interviews and quotes.
Customer Reviews:
Great guerrilla.......2007-01-24
it is a great book to check what is going on in the street
Book Description
Part design and illustration studio, part pop culture think tank, Push Pin Studios made a phenomenal impact on visual culture from the 1950s to the 1980s, representing an important chapter in postwar graphic design. Founding member Seymour Chwast partners with key figures from the design community -- as well as co-founder Milton Glaser -- to provide a visual history of the studio by way of its signature publication, The Push Pin Graphic. Hundreds of memorable covers and spreads culled from each of the eighty-six inspired and imaginative issues confirms Push Pin's vital role in setting the design curve and influencing the direction of modern visual style. The Push Pin Graphic is the first comprehensive account of a design milestone that continues to influence designers to this day.
Customer Reviews:
I love this book.......2007-06-27
The ideas and concepts in this book are wonderful. When I am not looking at it for inspiration, I am looking at just for sheer enjoyment.
You need this.......2005-09-23
A book that no designer should be without. A lasting source of inspiration.
Shut Down Your Computer and Read This Book.......2005-02-26
Here's how to start a studio, publicize it, become a superstar, and change the world: (1) From birth, draw like a Renaissance angel. (2) Be one of 15 percent of applicants selected to attend New York's Cooper Union. (3) Get fired from your first job, or hate it and quit. (4) Surround yourself with like-minded, equally talented partners. (5) Follow your heart, put forth your ideas, be fearless. (6) In a grid-locked Modernist era, produce fanciful, hand-drawn work. (7) Keep doing it for 50 years.
Over 25 of those years, distribute 86 issues of a self-promotional publication that still continues to inspire.
For a quarter-century, members of Push Pin Studio used every art technique -- woodcut, charcoal, watercolor, collage, pen-and-ink, color adhesive film -- to interpret subjects including Good and Evil, Black and White, and Teens and Bikers. Topics ranged from the serious ("Violence and the American Dream") to the silly ("The Mouth").
Milton Glaser has been known to say that nobody draws any more. This book, which features at least one cover and spread from each issue -- many tattered and yellowing -- may spawn a revival of the artist's hand as a design tool, and a revival of the one-color job. The first 30 or so issues of the Graphic, with a couple of virtuoso two- and three-color exceptions, are a lesson in how to do brilliant work in black on newsprint. Contrast is the designer's best friend and weapon: white space against black, tiny against huge, curlicue against justified column of type. Wit is a powerful tool, too.
A head-and-shoulders portrait of a large barnyard rooster graces the book's cover. Thickly outlined on benday-dotted background, he sports a tuxedo shirt, bow-tie, monocle, dotted beak, and bright red wattle. I'd like to think that the mascot choice has more to do with the concept of "something to crow about" than being fearful-or cuckolded. In a phone interview, Seymour Chwast set me straight by listing the bird's qualities: authoritative, prolific, sophisticated, and on-time. Ah-ha, the real meaning is "the early bird meets the deadline," with a few grains of self-mockery thrown in.
If Push Pin did not singlehandedly transform mainstream culture, as Steven Heller suggests in the introduction, it had a symbiotic relationship with it. Push Pin took from everything around them: from the Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco, from old signboards and newspapers, American primitives and wood-type specimens, from current art and music, fashion and advertising. The faces in Chwast's "Dante's Inferno" poster of 1967 echo Richard Avendon's solarized Beatles portraits. The Beatles' 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine -- and the rainbows-and-butterflies trend in animation that ensued -- owed its aesthetic to Push Pin. It will take a more diligent researcher than I to ascertain whether the color and line that burst through in the Push Pin Graphic issue 52 (and morphed into Chwast's signature style) was inspired by psychedelic rock posters, or whether the Push Pin style reached San Francisco concert promoters first.
Content aside, the Push Pin Graphic is a book well worth examining for its own design: the hefty squarish format, sense of scale and pacing, fine color and black- and-white printing on uncoated stock. The details also merit pleasurable study: old-fashioned typefaces like Cheltenham and Stymie set in old-fashioned ways like centered and flush-left-and-right; even the placement of the folios on the page. Just as the subject matter of each issue of the Push Pin Graphic mirrored goings-on in the world, the design and pacing of the book mirror the issues being featured. As the Graphic became more eclectic and colorful and began to function as self-promotion for a larger group of artists, the pages of the book become more patterned and colorful. Martin Venezky has honored the Push Pin style while designing a book that's 100 percent up-to-date.
This book may be a walk down memory lane, but it's far from an epitaph. Glaser, 75, now working on posters, books, a museum exhibition, and performance art with a political bent, recently said, "Retiring is for people who fundamentally hate what they do." Chwast, 73, added, "Every era had its doubts, but we kept going. The culture -- music, posters, films, kept rubbing off on us, and we keep reinventing it and rubbing it back on them."
If the Push Pin conviction, zest, and humor rubs off on today's readers -- and if some of them decide to shut down their computers and digital cameras for a little while and pick up a brush or pen and ink -- this book will be a great success.
(Published in a slightly different version in PRINT magazine, of which I am a contributing editor, Jan-Feb 2005)
Books:
- Lifelike Drawing With Lee Hammond
- Logo Font & Lettering Bible: A Comprehensive Guide to the Design, Construction and Usage of Alphabets and Symbols
- Macromedia Dreamweaver 8: Training from the Source
- Manga from the Floating World: Comicbook Culture and the Kibyoshi of Edo Japan (Harvard East Asian Monographs)
- Mathematics for 3D Game Programming and Computer Graphics, Second Edition (Game Development Series)
- Meggs' History of Graphic Design
- MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer
- Nash Editions: Photography and the Art of Digital Printing (VOICES)
- Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature (Schiffer Design Book)
- Never Check E-Mail In the Morning: And Other Unexpected Strategies for Making Your Work Life Work
Books Index
Books Home
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- The Far Pavilions
- The Pearl Diver: A Novel
- The Purpose of Your Life: Finding Your Place In The World Using Synchronicity, Intuition, And Uncomm
- Chemistry in Context: Applying Chemistry To Society
- 21st Century U.S. Army Sniper Training Field Manual
- Reclining Nude
- The New Ecological Order
- International Marketing Strategies: How to Build International Market Share
Karel Martens: Counterprint
In Alphabetical Order: File Under: Graphic Design, Schools, or Werkplaats Typografie
Dutch Resource: Collaborative Exercises in Graphic Design
Dot Dot Dot 11 (Dot Dot Dot) (Dot Dot Dot)
Beauty And the Book: 60 Years of the Most Beautiful Swiss Books
