Born in 1915, american book designer and graphic designer, alvin lustig, set the stage for modern american design. Alvin lustigs restless curiosity during his short life was employed across many areas of art and design. By the time he died at the age of 40 in 1955, he had already introduced principles of modern art to graphic design. Alvin lustig papers, 19351955 archives of american art. Alvin lustig was an american graphic designer, typeface designer and teacher. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig rit press rit. Creating a realistic and comfortable form of liberty and nostalgia, still appreciated as fresh and innovative today. People who judge a book by its cover would be impressed with the work of alvin lustig 19151955, who designed book jackets for notable works such as f.
He began to study design in california after high school and has contributed much to the design of books, book jackets, magazines, and textiles. As publisher of new directions, laughlin hired lustig in the early 1940s and gave him the latitude to experiment with personal graphic forms. Back in 2006, i had been asked to get in touch with the estate regarding his jacket designs for new directions. The alvin lustig collection was donated to rit in 1986 by his widow, elaine lustig cohen. She began as a book designer for new directions and meridian books. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about alvin. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles. Alvin lustig graphic designer vv published in us in 2014 by studio art ff. The alvin lustig archive includes over 400 designs from this important modern american design pioneer. Mar 12, 2020 with his first book for new directions, alvin lustig began a partnership that would revolutionize the art of book cover design. In denver, colorado on the year of 1915, alvin lustig was born.
His graphic design is heavily influenced by modern art. Rit publishes new book on modernist designer alvin lustig. The life and design of alvin lustig, the authors describe his coverdesign process. The opportunity to design this series of book jackets was an unusual one.
It is a singular typeface he designed in 1939, entitled euclid, no doubt due to its modular, geometric mathematical components. In the 1960s, elaine worked as a designer for the jewish museum, producing some of. Oct 03, 2017 alvin lustig is a known graphic and typeface designer. Laughlin, was a progressive publisher with an intuitive understanding of the artistic graphic design, who commissioned lustig to create book jackets for such important thinkers as henry miller, gertrude stein, d. Alvin lustig gets an impressive eightyeight page look at his book jackets for new directions. Alvin lustig modern american designer pioneer ehehr1955s. Alvin lustig gets an impressive eightyeight page look at. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about alvin lustig.
Between 1941 and 1952, lustig produced one masterpiece after another stylized, fragmented, some combining multiple photographs, others drawn by hand in glorious abstraction. Sep 22, 2015 born in 1915, american book designer and graphic designer, alvin lustig, set the stage for modern american design. Each cover displayed an artistic unity where even the book s title and author became simply. The history of graphic design is replete with paradigmatic works as. Seven typographical illustrations by alvin lustig alfalfa. Post 1 by nat kiryk alvin lustig graphic design history. His method was to read a text and get the feel of the authors creative drive, then to restate it in his own graphic terms, wrote james laughlin in the book jackets of alvin lustig print, vol. Lustig has been honored by the american institute of graphic arts and the art directors club hall of fame for his significant contributions to american design. The first jacket which lustig did for a new directions book the one for the. Jun 15, 2014 the book is an illustrated epic poem by alfred young fisher with an introduction by lawrence clarke powell and graphic design by alvin lustig. A season in hell by rimbaud, cover design by alvin lustig book cover, a season in hell, this is a book cover. Revolutionizing the approach to book cover design in the 1940s, lustig would attempt to get a sense of the writers direction from reading the book and then translate it into his own graphic style the previous trend was to summarize the book with one. In the course of this alvin lustig revival, elaine has also garnered widespread attention and acclaim as an artist. Alvin lustig aiga, the professional association for design.
From the book jackets of alvin lustig by james laughlin, print magazine, octnov 1956 the first jacket which lustig did for a new directions book the one for the 1941 edition of henry millers wisdom of the heart was quite unlike anything then in vogue, but it scarcely hinted at the extraordinary flowering which was to follow. Architects such as eero saarinan and philip johnson hired her to do the lettering for their buildings. His dust jackets were minimal distillations of the spirit of a books contents, with. Lawrences the man who died 1947, and tennessee williams cat on a hot tin roof 1955. Alvin lustig 1940 alvin lustig introduced principles of modern art to graphic design that have had a longterm influence on contemporary practice. It stands out with its symbolic acuity, compositional strength and typographic. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig, published by the cary graphic arts press at rochester institute of technology. Cover by alvin lustig alvin lustig was an innovative pioneer in developing american graphic design during the and lustigs early work in the late reflects his training with frank lloyd wright. Font design, graphic design typography, layout design, web design, typography letters, lettering, ex libris, book jacket, design graphique. These started in 1939 when he met publisher james laughlin, they became good friends and lustig designed dozens of covers through the forties and fifties for laughlins imprints, fiftyfour, in color, are included in the book with six covers for other publishers. Alvin lustig modern american designer pioneer posted by ehehr1955 on may 17, 2011 leave a comment alvin lustigs contributions to the design of books and book jackets, magazines, interiors, and textiles as well as his teachings would have made him a credible candidate for the aiga lifetime achievement award when he was alive.
Lawrence and james joyce, and he gave the artist the freedom to experiment and develop his personal style in a fertile ground for. Magooeven a helicopteralvin lustig designed all of them. As publisher of new directions, laughlin hired lustig in the. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of. May 17, 2011 alvin lustig modern american designer pioneer posted by ehehr1955 on may 17, 2011 leave a comment alvin lustigs contributions to the design of books and book jackets, magazines, interiors, and textiles as well as his teachings would have made him a credible candidate for the aiga lifetime achievement award when he was alive. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book jacket and graphic design. Lustig created monuments of ingenuity and objects of aesthetic pleasure. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Along with graphic design, his impressive range of work included book covers, magazines, letterheads, catalogs, signage, furniture, logos. His method was to read a text and get the feel of the authors creative drive, then to restate it in his own graphic terms, wrote james laughlin in the book jackets of alvin lustig print. Alvin lustig is a known graphic and typeface designer. These started in 1939 when he met publisher james laughlin, they became good friends and lustig designed dozens of covers through the forties and fifties for laughlins imprints, fiftyfour, in color, are included in the book with six covers for. Alvin lustig believed that painting was dead and that design would emerge as a primary art form. The first book came out ten years ago and was a rather slim thirtysix pages look at the work of lester beall.
See more ideas about alvin lustig, cover design and book cover design. Alvin lustig, revolutionary book jacket designer and recipient of a 1993 aiga. Alvin lustig was born in denvercalifornia1915 1955. Cover design by alvin lustig, book cover, the man who died, d. He began designing book covers in 1937 and revolutionized the approach to book cover design in the 1940s. Jun 03, 2018 he further rejected the typical cover design that summarized a book through one generalized image. Biography an introduction about alvin lustig and his lifetime. The august, september, and october advertisementsthough similar in style to lustigs workwere not made by him, the november advertisement was attributed to rj wolff, and the december issue repeated a previous lustig design. He also studied design independently with american architect frank lloyd wright at his taliesin studio. Elaine lustig cohen, xxxii international biennial exhibition of art, venice, 1964. In steven heller and elaine lustig cohens book, born modern. Mar 06, 2012 alvin lustig was an american graphic designer, typeface designer and teacher. She is best known for her work as a graphic designer during the 1950s and 60s, having created over 150 designs for book covers and museum catalogs. Whereas graphic design history is replete with artifacts that define certain disciplines and are also works of art, for a design to be so considered it must overcome the vicissitudes of fashion and be accepted as an integral part of the visual language.
One of his most memorable masterpieces is that of the book cover, lorca. Alvin lustigs contributions to the design of books and book jackets. Born in 1915, alvin lustig grew up in denver, colorado. Lustig used the book cover as a vehicle of his bold graphic experimentation that was enhanced by a lifelong collaboration with james laughlin, founder and. Rarely is the graphic designer given the chance to act upon what he considers his highest level upon a problem of serious intentions. He always felt the title graphic designer was too limiting, and its clear why. Included are books, architecture, interiors, ads, identity and print. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer books. Married for seven years to the influential graphic designer alvin lustig, elaine lustig cohen was a fierce graphic design talent in her own right. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig 0 graphic design archi here is a colorful and wellresearched representation of alvin lustig s book cover designs that were created primarily for new directions books and noonday press, among others. The fourth title in this slowly expanding graphic designer series and the most ambitious so far. Published by chronicle books in 1954, alvin lustig gave a lecture titled what is a designer. Lacma makes commitment to graphic design eye on design. Elaine lustig cohen march 6, 1927 october 4, 2016 was an american graphic designer, artist and archivist.
Catalog cover published by the jewish museum, new york. Purity of aim the book jacket designs of alvin lustig 0. The book is an illustrated epic poem by alfred young fisher with an introduction by lawrence clarke powell and graphic design by alvin lustig. Each cover displayed an artistic unity where even the.
Lustig seldom relied on literal solutions for his cover designs. He further rejected the typical cover design that summarized a book through one generalized image. Her work has played a significant role in the evolution of american modernist graphic design, integrating european. History of graphic design graphic design fall 2017. Fifties designer alvin lustig s book jackets provide inspiration for painted walls and floors. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig 0 graphic design archi here is a colorful and wellresearched representation of alvin lustigs book cover designs that were created primarily for new directions books and noonday press, among others. Magazines, interiors, book jackets, packaging, fabrics, hotels, mall signage, the opening credits of the cartoon mr. Fifties designer alvin lustigs book jackets provide inspiration for painted walls and floors. The current preference among american book jacket designers for. Alvin lustig february 8, 1915 december 5, 1955 was an american book designer, graphic designer and typeface designer. Elaine lustig cohen donated a collection of her graphic design to cooperhewitt, national national design museum in 1993. Alvin lustig, 1946 all book covers for new directions, unless.
Design by alvin lustig, staff, inhouse publication for look magazine, 19441945 one example of his that i show is an anomaly. I first met the artist and designer elaine lustig cohen through the website dedicated to her former husband, the legendary designer alvin lustig. Curated by two members of the college of visual arts graphic design faculty. His career highlights include numerous book jackets for new directions and noonday press. Sep 14, 2012 in steven heller and elaine lustig cohens book, born modern. With more than 400 important designs credited to the designer, its difficult to attribute his success to any particular work.
Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer the book jackets of. He was in the vanguard of a relatively small group who fervently, indeed religiously, believed in the curative power of good design when applied to all aspects of american life. His method was to read a manuscript to get the feel of the authors creative drive, then restate it in his own graphic terms. It was one of many such talks he gave to organizations, art directors clubs and schools around the.