DOCSLIB.ORG

Double Portrait: Paula Scher and Seymour Chwast, Graphic Designers

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Double Portrait: Paula Scher and Seymour Chwast, Graphic Designers DOUBLE PORTRAIT: PAULA SCHER AND SEYMOUR CHWAST, GRAPHIC DESIGNERS December 2, 2012, through April 14, 2013 Collab Gallery, Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building The annual Collab Design Excellence Award will this year honor Paula Scher and Seymour Chwast. Double Portrait: Paula Scher and Seymour Chwast, Graphic Designers is the accompanying exhibition, which celebrates the achievements of this remarkably creative couple whose illustrations and designs have transformed the design fields. This will be the first time their work will be shown together. Exploring the artists’ commonalities and differences, Double Portrait includes works ranging from record albums, books, magazine covers, and illustrations to posters, typefaces, trademarks, identities, and environmental graphics. Illustrator Seymour Chwast is graphic designer Paula Scher’s greatest influence, and also happens to be her husband. Together, they share a sensibility and approach to design. Both understand graphics as expression—often humorous—and are drawn to eclectic influences and conceptual methods, demonstrated by the more than 300 images in the exhibition, all selected and installed by the artists. Double Portrait will show the deeply personal nature of Chwast’s vision, which remains inspired by sources as diverse as German Expressionist woodcuts; Victorian typography; children’s, primitive, and folk art; plus comic books. On view will be one of Chwast’s most iconic and still provocative works of the 1960s, his anti-war poster “End Bad Breath” (1968), designed in protest of the U.S. bombing of Hanoi. In his poster “War is Good Business: Invest Your Son” (1967), Chwast used a collage style of Victorian wood-block typography, photography, and bright color to create a dense, visually busy surface that activates his ironic text message. Scher is best known for her innovative reimagining of typography as a communicative medium, her work divided between graphic identity and environmental graphics. Her ongoing work for New York’s Public Theater will be featured in Double Portrait, reflecting street typography with unconventional placements and uses of different sizes, weights, and styles of type. Her poster for the theater’s production of “Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk” (1995) sets the play’s title and theater logos around the silhouetted image of the tap artist in different visual rhythms which convey the sound of the performance. Scher’s environmental graphics for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Lucent Technologies Center for Arts Education (2001) utilizes super graphics to redraw the exterior of the sixty-year old school building in typography. Kathryn Bloom Hiesinger, The J. Mahlon Buck, Jr. Senior Curator of European Decorative Arts after 1700, said, “It is an extraordinary opportunity to be able to view Scher and Chwast’s work, side by side, in a museum setting. Seen in concert, their iconic images, social commentary, and commercial relevance speak to graphic design’s ability to transcend the medium’s perceived boundaries. Thanks to the efforts and generosity of Collab, we are the only Museum in the country to regularly devote our galleries to exhibitions about contemporary designers.” This exhibition is made possible by Lisa S. Roberts and David W. Seltzer. Additional support is provided by Collab, a group that supports the Museum’s modern and contemporary design collection and programs. In-kind support is provided courtesy of Alcorn McBride Inc. About the Artists Seymour Chwast (b.1931) studied at New York’s Cooper Union and, after graduating, co-founded the Push Pin Studios in 1954 with classmates Milton Glaser and Edward Sorel. Widely influential, Push Pin broadened the boundaries of modern design by reintroducing historic graphic styles and techniques, transforming them into a new, contemporary vocabulary. Throughout a varied career in promotion and publishing, Chwast’s designs have been used in advertising, animated films, and editorial, corporate, and environmental graphics for such clients as Mobil, Sony, Forbes, and Columbia Records, and his illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Time. He has created more than 100 posters and has designed and illustrated more than 40 children’s books. His work has been the subject of Seymour Chwast: The Left Handed Designer (Abrams, 1985) and Seymour: The Obsessive Images of Seymour Chwast (Chronicle, 2009). Museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Library of Congress have collected his posters, and he has lectured and exhibited worldwide. Paula Scher (b. 1948) studied at the Tyler School of Art, Corcoran College of Art and Design, Maryland Institute College of Art, and Moore College of Art & Design. She began her professional career as an art director designing record covers for CBS and Atlantic Records, developing an eclectic approach to typography that became highly influential. In 1991, Scher became a partner in Pentagram, the distinguished international design consultancy. Scher has developed identity and branding systems, promotional materials, environmental graphics, packaging, and publication designs for a broad range of major corporate and institutional clients including, among others, the Museum of Modern Art, New York City Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the New York Philharmonic, Bloomberg L.P., Citibank, Microsoft, Tiffany & Co. and the Sundance Film Festival as well as the Public Theater and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Throughout her career, Scher has been the recipient of many industry honors and awards and served on numerous boards. Her work is represented in the permanent collections of museums including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. Both Scher and Chwast have received the medal of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, their profession’s highest honor, Chwast in 1985, Scher in 2001. In 1983 and 1998, respectively, Chwast and Scher have been inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame. About the Design Excellence Award: In conjunction with Double Portrait: Paula Scher and Seymour Chwast, Graphic Designers, Collab, the group of design professionals that supports the modern and contemporary design collection at the Museum, will present the 2012 Design Excellence Award to the artists on the evening of December 1, 2012. The Design Excellence Award honors a renowned designer or manufacturer who has enriched the world with his or her unique creative vision. The award ceremony will take place in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Van Pelt Auditorium and will include an illustrated lecture by the artists. About the Student Design Competition: 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of Collab’s Student Design Competition, which challenges college students studying architecture and industrial design to be inspired by the annual Design Excellence Award winner and corresponding exhibition. The 2012 challenge was entitled "Game On" and asked students to redesign and/or repackage an iconic game or create their own. Social Media: Facebook: philamuseum; Twitter: philamuseum; Tumblr: philamuseum; YouTube: PhilaArtMuseum; Instagram: @philamuseum Exhibition Hours: Tuesday through Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. The exhibition will be closed Christmas Day and open during normal hours on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Presidents' Day. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest museums in the United States, with a collection of more than 227,000 works of art. The Museum’s many galleries present painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, decorative arts, textiles, and architectural settings from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Its facilities include a landmark main building; the Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building; the Rodin Museum, and two historic houses in Fairmount Park, Mount Pleasant and Cedar Grove. The Museum offers a wide variety of activities for public audiences, including special exhibitions, programs for children and families, lectures, concerts, and films. For additional press information and images, contact Gigi Lamm in the Marketing and Communications department of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at [email protected] or 215-684-7860. For general information, call 215- 763-8100, or visit the Museum's website at philamuseum.org. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • PAULA SCHER Lives and Works in New York, USA
    PAULA SCHER Lives and works in New York, USA Education 1970 BFA, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Phildelphia 2001 Doctor of Fine Arts Honoris Causa Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington DC 2008 Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore Selected Solo Exhibitions 2007 Paula Scher: Recent Paintings, Maya Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY 2006 Paula Scher: The Maps, Maya Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY 2005 The Maps: Recent Paintings, Maya Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY 2005 Collection d’Affiches les Silos, la Maison du Livre et de l’Affiche, Chaumont, France 2002 The Master Series: Paula Scher, Visual Arts Museum at the School of Visual Arts, New York, NY 1999 Paula Scher, Temple Gallery, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia 1999 Type Is Image, DDD Gallery, Osaka, Japan Selected Group Shows 2011 The Art of Mapping, TAG Fine Arts, London, UK 2011 London Original Print Fair, TAG Fine Arts, Royal Academy, London, UK 2011 London Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, Islington, London, UK 2007 Notes on Utopia, Maya Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY 2006 The Daily News, Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID 2005 Noires-Noirs/The Black Show, Bleu Acier Gallery, Tampa, FL 2005 Community of Artists: 50 Years of The Public Theater, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, New York, NY 2005 Design of Dissent, Visual Arts Museum at the School of Visual Arts, New York, NY 2005 Repetitions, Maya Stendhal Gallery, New York, NY 2005 The Daily News, Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, UT 2005 The Daily News, Nicolaysent
    [Show full text]
  • O Valor Do Projeto Pessoal/Autoral No Design
    2020 CAMILA O VALOR DO PROJETO PASINATO PESSOAL/AUTORAL NO DESIGN 2020 CAMILA O VALOR DO PROJETO PASINATO PESSOAL/AUTORAL NO DESIGN Dissertação apresentada ao IADE – Universidade Europeia, para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Design e Cultura Visual, realizada sob a orientação científica da Doutora Ana Luísa Marques, Professora auxiliar do IADE – Universidade Europeia. agradecimentos Agradeço e dedico este trabalho aos meus amigos que estiveram comigo em todo percurso da vida pessoal e acadêmica. Aos amigos que fiz durante o decorrer do mestrado. Agradeço imensamente à minha família pela oportunidade de realizar este mestrado, pelo apoio, amor e pela companhia durante a pandemia. Me sinto abençoada, serão dias que nunca esquecerei. Agradeço a todas as pessoas as quais entrevistei e que dedicaram um tempo a contribuir com a minha pesquisa. Agradeço à minha orientadora, Prof. Ana Marques, pelo apoio e pelas ricas aulas que deu em meio às orientações. Agradeço também à Prof. Neiva que deu um brilho especial ao meu trabalho. palavras-chave design gráfico; projeto pessoal; psicologia criativa; cultura visual. resumo A vida de um designer, muitas vezes, é sinônimo de rotinas intensas e de prazos curtos. As situações adversas nas rotinas de trabalho e a valorização da alta produtividade podem gerar cansaço, desmotivação e até bloqueios criativos, que são uma grande adversidade para esses profissionais, além de outros problemas que envolvem a saúde física e psíquica. A presente dissertação incide sobre a influência dos projetos pessoais na saúde psicológica de bem-estar e desempenho criativo dos designers, a fim de contribuir com sua energia criativa, humor, autoconfiança e até na sua autopromoção.
    [Show full text]
  • The Following Articles Were Authored Over the Past Two Decades
    The following articles were authored over the past two decades. Although some of the details have become irrelevant, the thrust of the articles continues to be germane. “BACK IN THE U.S.S.R.: (OR THAT Tired: what we have been doing for the past Unfortunately, publishing editors find type on I’ve never liked labels. Constructivism has cer- UKRAINE TYPE REALLY KNOCKS ME OUT)” five years an angle very difficult to read. This means that tainly had an enormous impact on the way I de- Originally published in the AIGA Journal of Too weird: what we will be doing in five years a good Constructivist design is usually killed in sign, but so has nearly every other movement Graphic Design, Volume 4, Number 1, 1984 Too ugly: what we will be doing in ten years favor of something “less complicated.” Another in art history at different times. It’s funny the way something suddenly looks editorial complaint is that it doesn’t look “seri- It’s 1983. I still think El Lissitzky is great, ous” enough. I confess that I don’t understand though sometimes I think he’s merely nice. I good. I was recently shocked to find that a cou- It is no coincidence that around the time that this complaint. They were dead serious in 1917. think I only have one year left in the U.S.S.R. ple of terrific El Lissitzky and Rodchenko posters I said “That’s great!” to El Lissitzky, two Rodch- In four years and after umpteen attempts, grace the pages of moldy art history books from enko books were published, followed by a big I’ve had only three constructivist designs reach “BACK TO SHOW AND TELL” my college days.
    [Show full text]
  • Modernism101.Com Graphic Design E-List 2019
    modernism101.com e-list graphic design 2019 modernism101.com graphic design e-list 2019 All items are offered subject to prior sale. All items are as described, but are considered to be sent subject to approval unless otherwise noted. Notice of return must be given within ten days of receipt unless specific arrangements are made prior to shipment. Returns must be made conscientiously and expediently. The usual courtesy discount is extended to bonafide booksellers who offer reciprocal opportunities from their catalogs or stock. There are no library or institutional discounts. We accept payment via all major credit cards through Paypal. Institutional billing requirements may be accommodated upon request. Foreign accounts may remit via wire transfer to our bank account in US Dollars. Wire transfer details available on request. Terms are net 30 days. Titles link directly to our website for purchase. E-mail orders or inquiries to [email protected] Items in this E-List are available for inspection via appointment at our office in Shreveport. We are secretly open to the public and welcome visitors with prior notification. We are always interested in purchasing single items, collections and libraries and welcome all inquiries. randall ross + mary mccombs modernism101 rare design books Shreveport, Louisiana The Design Capitol of the Ark -La- Tex™ Tom Daly [Designer]; Kenneth Harris [Photographer]; The Art Directors Club FIRST EDITION IMPRESSION. Model: Wanda Embry. Variant published in IMAGES 1 THE 46TH ANNUAL EXHIBITION $900 OF AN ERA: THE AMERICAN POSTER 1945–75. Washington, DC: National OF ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL ART AND DESIGN Collection of Fine Arts, 1975 [number 47].
    [Show full text]
  • The Top 25 20Th Century Typographers
    2 PRINT 71.2 SUMMER 2017 THE TOP 25 20 TH CENTURY TYPOGRAPHERS by Steven Heller “Letters of the alphabet that are the typographer is not always an excellent type designer, even though computer programs have made it possible to more cast or founded for the purpose easily create faces. of impressing upon paper are A typographer is, in my opinion, one who makes type and let- ters come alive on a page (or screen) through aesthetic manipu- known as type. … The precise lation and organization—otherwise known as composition. form of the ‘types’ and the exact For the average person, the distinction between a typographer and graphic designer may be fairly arcane. A typographer and position they need to occupy the graphic designer do almost the same exact thing to an extent. selected paper involve skill in the Yet specifying or setting a line of Helvetica is not typography, just as drawing an alphabet is not type design. Compare a violinist art that is called typography.” to a fiddle player. Both can play their parts, but one is a virtuoso. —Stanley Morrison, British type adviser to Monotype and For this issue, Print asked me to name 25 of the most signifi- designer of such key typefaces as Times New Roman cant typographers of the past 100-plus years. In their minds the focus would be on designers like Robert Hunter Middleton and Matthew Carter, both great exponents—but not typographers. I further wanted to narrow down the list: American or inter- Those reading this magazine should know the difference national? Living or dead? Latin or non-Latin typography? I between type design and typography.
    [Show full text]
  • Paula Scher Is One of the Most Acclaimed Graphic Designers in the World
    The United States (White), 2007. Screenprint. 43 1/2 x 60”. Edition 15. BIOGRAPHY Paula Scher is one of the most acclaimed graphic designers in the world. She has been a principal in the New York office of the distinguished international design consultancy Pen- tagram since 1991, where she has designed identity and branding systems, environmental graphics, packaging and publications for a wide range of clients that includes, among oth- ers, Citibank, Microsoft, Bloomberg, the Museum of Modern Art, Tiffany & Co, the High Line, the Public Theater, the Metropolitan Opera, the Sundance Institute and the Philadel- phia Museum of Art. In the 1990s, Paula Scher began painting colorful typographic maps of the world, its continents, countries, islands, oceans, cities, streets and neighborhoods. Obsessive, opinionated and more than a little personal, the paintings were a reaction against information overload and the constant stream of news, which, like the paintings, present skewed versions of reality in a deceptively authoritative way. Paula Scher has been the recipient of hundreds of industry honors and awards; she is a recipient of the National Design Award for Communication Design, the AIGA medal and the Chrysler Award for Innovation in Design, among others. Scher has served on the Pub- lic Design Commission of the City of New York from 2006- 2015. She is an established artist exhibiting worldwide, and her designs are in the permanent collection of the Muse- um of Modern Art, the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, the Library of Congress,
    [Show full text]