Alexey Brodovitch Life of a Revolutionary Graphic Designer By Shea Monahan

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Monahan Designs Table of Contents Early Years

Alexey Brodovitch

1 Early Years 2 Brodovitch was born in Ogolitchi, Russia in 1898 to an aristocratic, well-to-do family. Despite his desire to attend the Imperial Art Academy, he deterred his dream and left to fight in the Czarist army and climbed the ranks to first lieutenant. Brodovitch eventually fled to Paris 2 Harpar’s Bazaar 3 in 1920 where he found himself penniless and having to work for the first time in his life. Being in this cultural hotspot, he joined a community of Russian artists and was able to obtain a job as a painter for stage sets of 3 Other Projects 7 Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes (Icon of Graphics). In 1924, Brodovitch entered a poster competition to announce an upcoming ball. He won first prize for his Bal Banal which kick started his career as a graphic designer (Aiga). 4 Signature 8

5 Later Years 9

6 Legacy 10

1 Cover is Alexey brodovitch before leaving Russia, from Alexey 2 Brodovitch, photograph 121. Web Model from Bazaar Magazine, from Alexey Brodovitch, photograph 1952. Web Harper’s Bazaar

After obtaining more victories for We must be critical of our- his design at the International Exhibition selves and have the courage to of Decorative Arts in 1925, Brodovitch was start all over again after each becoming a hot commodity for local vendors failure. Only then do we really for posters, décor and store advertisements absorb, really start to know” (Aiga). He became an art director at the (Icon of Graphics). In 1933 he Athelia Studio where he gained a highly re- created workshops, open to all vered reputation as one of the most respected types of professionals, knows commercial designers in Paris. During this as the ‘Design Laboratory.’ He time period, he was also an art director to urged his pupils to avoid clichés two leading Parisian department stores (ADC and strip down to the essence. Global). Seeking new opportunities, Brodo- He would purposely contradict vitch came to America upon being invited to himself in hopes of forcing the cultivate an advertising art department to students to think for themselves. teach students at what later would be known Brodovitch was also getting a as the Philadelphia College of Art (Aiga). lot of traction in the states when While there, he educated his students on photographer Ralph Steiner European style art, challenging them on the introduced him to Carmel Snow, elements and decisions made by the artists. editor-in-chief of Harper’s Brodovitch once said, “We learn by making Bazaar. mistakes.

Bazaar Magazine Cover, from Alexey Brodovitch, photograph 1952. Web

3 4

Bazaar Magazine Cover, from Alexey Brodovitch, photograph 1955. Web “Imitation is the greatest danger of the young”-Alexey Brodovitch

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Alexey Brodovitch, from Alexey Brodovitch, photograph 1943.Web Other Projects Signature Design

Other than his groundbreaking work at Alexey Brodovitch brought a style which was Harper’s Bazaar, Brodovitch pursued additional unique and previously unseen to America at that time. projects that would solidify his title as an icon. Most magazines published during this era displayed He reestablished his design laboratory at the text and illustration separately, dividing them with wide New School in New York. He served as a mentor white margins. Brodovitch shattered this commonal- and teacher there from 1936 – 1959 and became ity and was the first art director to integrate text and image (CSUN). As stated above, his elegant use of white widely influential for future groundbreaking art- space was really his signature at the time and complete- ists. Designers including Otto Storch and Henry ly changed the layout of the modern magazine. For Wolf studies under him and later invigorated example, in Harper’s Bazaar’s March 1938 issue, an American magazine design concepts in the 50’s article entitled “If you don’t like full skirts…”, the text is and 60’s (Britannica). Another notable achieve- not just simply displayed in normatzl paragraph form Portfolio Project, from Alexey Brodovitch, photograph 1950.Web ment stemmed from his time at Ballet Russes. He across the page. The text takes up about half the page gained wide recognition and praise from his book but is presented in such a way that it mimics a curve on of photographs published in 1945 titled Ballet. It the page, leaving his signature large white margins on is now considered one of today’s most legendary either side. And in the March 1936 issue for the article photobooks mostly due to its blurred and faced “The Consensus of Opinion”, the text is laid out in what paced images. Only a few hundred copies have appears to be a strongly slanted “L”. Brodovitch also played with the layout of photographs in the publica- been printed and has turned into a rarity (Ama- tion. It was not uncommon for him to crop the images zon). Another significant project comes with an- and displaying them at the edge of the page. In Harp- other celebrated art director and graphic designer er’s Bazaar’s August 1958 issue (the last issue directed Frank Zachary. In 1950, these two visionaries by Brodovitch) he duplicated one of the models and teamed up to create a large, sophisticated and had the lower part of her coat continue onto the next opulently produced magazine entitled Portfolio. page and part of her fur stole cut off. In that same issue, While only three issues were published due to ladies donning the showcased violet dresses appear to publication costs and lack of mass popularity, it is be running from one page to another. Before Brodo- still considered visually innovative and vivacious vitch, all of these practices were unheard of in what Athelia, from Alexey Brodovitch, Design 1942.Web (ADC Global). Ballet Photograph Book, from Alexey Brodovitch, photograph 1947. was the modern American magazine. But that was why his direction was so revolutionary; it brought new 7 movement and dynamism to a medium that previously 8 wasn’t considered cutting-edge (CSUN). Later Years Legacy

While his professional life flour- ished, his personal life suffered. Brodovitch battled with alcoholism which later lead to poor health and him leaving his job at Harp- er’s Bazaar (Design Is History). And even during the height of his career, his family life was evidently disappointing. He experienced Even after his death, Brodo- a series of house fires in the 1950s that not vitch’s legacy still lives on to this day. only destroyed his home but his treasured Not only did he have a huge impact on archives, paintings and library. His wife Nina the American magazine, but he greatly passed away in 1958. With little physical and influenced what would be some of the financial strength, Brodovitch escaped to a nation’s greatest artists and designers. small village in south France where he passed Truman Capote wrote, “What Dom away in 1971 (Aiga). The most disheartening Perignon was to champagne…so [Bro- part his celebrated career is how he perceived dovitch] has been to…photographic himself. Despite having mentored some design and editorial layout” (Harper’s of the most visionary artists and designers, Bazaar). His impact in the design realm never fully considered himself a teacher. He was so influential and unlike any other. summed it up by saying, “I’m a can opener” His innovative photographic design in (ADC Global). While harsh self-criticism America still exists today through mod- can be crippling, in his case, it drove him to ern publications. push the limits and create ground breaking work.

Alexey working with Richard Avedon arranging a sequence, from Alexey Brodovitch, Photograph 1949.Web

9 10 Richard Avedon for Brodovitch, from Alexey Brodovitch, Photograph 1955.Web