Six months ago, i wrote to steven heller about an idea i had for a book on the subject of designer alvin lustig. This volume exhibits lustigs highly influential book jacket designs, architecture and industrial design. Sadly, in later editions, this was removed and replaced by a fonta rather illfitting akzidenzgrotesk bold. His wideranging work from the 1940s and early 1950s included book and book jacket design, magazines, letterheads, catalogs, signage, furniture and lighting. Yet over the years, elaine and i have teamed together in promoting the legacy of alvin lustig. Biography an introduction about alvin lustig and his lifetime. My collection of dust jackets designed by alvin lustig for the new directions new classics series. 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. His exhibition design explores the rational world, and his graphic design uncovers the subconscious, employing abstract forms to subtly unlock alternative levels of perceptions. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book design and book cover design. Alvin lustig alvin lustig, graphic design illustration. 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.
Alvin lustigs book covers i was killing some time in south congress books the other day and the clerk showed me some original new directions books with these alvin lustig covers and they really. He hung floortoceiling curtains made from ninon, an inexpensive white transparent nylon fabric, to smooth out the edges of the room. Designed book jackets, commonly used thin scratchy lines and lowercase letters. James laughlin in the book jackets of alvin lustig had this to say about lustig. Each of his allencompassing book covers had a life and character of its own, focusing on more than just one general image. Pioneering graphic designer, artist and archivist, elaine lustig cohen is recognized for her body of design work integrating european avantgarde and modernist influences into a distinctly american, midcentury manner of typographic communication. It is sure to trigger pangs of belletristic acquisitiveness and perhaps even launch you on a new book buying addictionyet even the most dedicated collector will find it difficult to match the quality of the books displayed in this design show. Designing book jackets helped her develop a more freeform style that distinguished her from alvins more precise aesthetic. Lustig immersed himself in all aspects of design, including architecture. Letterform archive is a 501c3 nonprofit library, museum, and educational institution dedicated to serving existing and potential practitioners, students, and admirers of the letter arts. Ivan chermayeff serges son, assistant to alvin lustig as a record album designer, close friend from a graduate graphic design program at yale university.
Alvin lustig, revolutionary book jacket designer and recipient of a 1993 aiga medal, models how personal vision wedded to modern form can significantly impact the public sphere. Elaine lustig cohen born modern showcases the work of the seminal midcentury modernist designer alvin lustig. 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, modern american design pioneer books. The current preference among american book jacket designers for fragmented images. Although each new classics jacket has its own character, lustig maintained unity through strict formal consistency. Alvin lustig was born in denvercalifornia1915 1955.
He further rejected the typical cover design that summarized a book through one generalized image. Included are books, architecture, interiors, ads, identity and print. Pausing to locate the cover in her memory, she said, the jacket that youre talking about for tennessee williams, that was very late. Alvin lustig with the current interest in american design history, it is fitting that alvin lustig be honored for his significant influence on american design and design education. 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 image. The title, in lowercase italic white type, is stacked vertically against this chasm. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer 19151955. Alvin lustig graphic designer vv published in us in 2014 by studio art ff. As publisher of new directions, laughlin hired lustig in the early 1940s.
Lustig began to incorporate type as a concrete design element in and. A student of frank lloyd wright, among others, alvin lustig had a very successful career in graphic design and art direction. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Tls is the leading manufacturer in highquality book jacket covers. Many of new directions classic titles now proudly wear their original lustig jackets. When elaine lustig cohen assumed ownership of her husbands midtown manhattan design practice after he died at the age of 40, most of. Founded in 2014 and opened to the public in 2015, the san franciscobased organization holds an extensive collection of 30,000 items ranging in age over 2,000 years. Readers of print may remember steves homage to lustig from the janfeb 2004 issue. Alvin lustig is one of our alltime favorite designers. Photo 8 of 12 in bright renovation of a tiny manhattan. Photo 8 of 12 in bright renovation of a tiny manhattan apartment.
Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about alvin. Alvin lustig s 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. Alvin lustig believed in the power of design when applied to all aspects of life. Until alvin lustig 19151955 began designing book jackets in the early 1940s, they were unwanted but necessary appendages ephemeral wrappers that protected bindings from dust, removed and discarded as routinely as christmas gift paper.
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. Beverly hills high school commencement, 1942 philately in europe brochure, 1939 incantation, textile design, 1947 via see it in fa. Alvin lustig gets an impressive eightyeight page look at his book jackets for new directions. How to take care of a really cool book jacket by poetry. The dust jacket sometimes book jacket, dust wrapper or dust cover of a book is the detachable outer cover, usually made of paper and printed with text and illustrations. In contrast the covers in jackets required are bursting with creativity, the chapter on nonfiction has some particularly striking designs. She began as a book designer for new directions and meridian books. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Together lustig cohen and welsh, utilizing alvins existing grid, created all the necessary characters, punctuation and glyphs, and renamed the font lustig elements. The first jacket which lustig did for a new directions book the one for the.
The alvin lustig archive includes over 400 designs from this important modern american design pioneer. We proudly offer six different styles of covers, including center slit book jacket covers, multifit book jacket covers, open edge book jacket covers, polyjac book jacket covers, processor book jacket covers and profit book jacket covers. Exiles by james joyce cover design by alvin lustig 1945. The face has been cut as wood type by hamilton, and there is a digital version from p22.
Alvin lustig 19151955, elaine lustig cohen 19272016. Evelyn waugh a handful of dust cover by alvin lustig cesarsebastian. George giusti, an italianborn and educated designer, first established a professional practice in switzerland and later, in the united states. Lustigs book covers, especially for new directions publishing, were groundbreaking. At a talk in 20, elaine lustig cohen, who was widowed by the books famous designer, alvin lustig, turned to steven heller, her interviewer on stage.
Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. 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. Each new classics book jacket lustig created had its own unique character. Lustig also designed sculptural lighting fixtures with small circular bulbs that were akin to the abstract linear designs he used on some of his betterknown book jackets. Craig welsh lancaster, pa and aiga medalist elaine lustig cohen ny, alvins widow, extended alvin lustigs 1939 geometric typeface euclid, and named it lustig elements. There is a designer and title index, someting that was sadly missing from the great american. Geismar had served two years of the united states army as an exhibition designer and then freelanced. This may, new directions will issue an alvin lustig postcard collection. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and wellresearched representation of lustigs book cover designs that were created primarily. James laughlin in the book jackets of alvin lustig had this to say.
Architects such as eero saarinan and philip johnson hired her to do the lettering for their buildings. His playful book covers caught my attention and spoke to me of an element that is perhaps missing in my own studio work. His sense of color and ability to seamlessly weave simple and beautiful illustrations into his. Lawrence and james joyce, and he gave the artist the freedom to experiment and develop his personal style in a fertile ground for. Not surprisingly, it turned out steve was already working on a biography formatted like a. Alvin lustigs distinctive handrendered lettering was a key pictorial feature of the early editions of this striking jacket design. Todays inspiration comes from american book designer, graphic designer and typeface designer alvin lustig. With multidisciplinary talents, giusti also created sculptures, metalwork and designed several. The princess of cleves book jacket by alvin lustig by scott lindberg, via. 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.
While researching for my annotated bibliography, i discovered the work of alvin lustig. Updating a famous type anomaly from aiga medalists alvin. On the online archive, members can explore over 1,000 catalogued, imaged items such as. The back of the book has a portfolio of six designers including my favorites, alvin lustig and paul rand. This outer cover has folded flaps that hold it to the front and back book covers. Often the back panel or flaps are printed with biographical information about the author, a summary of the book from the publisher known as a. In a 1995 article for eye magazine, graphic designer, writer, and. To combat this, he found it crucial for creatives to experiment with other types of design, aside.
Creating a realistic and comfortable form of liberty and nostalgia, still appreciated as fresh and innovative today. Lustig took book jackets and, later in the 1940s, paperback covers, seriously, turning them into a minor. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book cover design and book design. Alvin lustig, 1946 all book covers for new directions, unless. In recognition of his illustrious multidisciplinary careerdesigning hundreds of book jackets. Alvin lustig, revolutionary book jacket designer and recipient of a 1993 aiga medal. A 1949 excibitionat the composing room gallery in n.
As a famed designer goes blind, his wife steps out from. In the course of this alvin lustig revival, elaine has also garnered widespread attention and acclaim as an artist. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. The 19 jackets have been trimmed with threesided bleeds and spine typography intact. 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. It is sure to trigger pangs of belletristic acquisitiveness and perhaps even launch you on a new bookbuying addictionyet even the most dedicated collector will find it difficult to match the quality of the books displayed in this design show. Five questions with steven heller about alvin lustig. I asked if he would write the introductory essay, outlining lustigs role in modern design history. Born modern the life and design of alvin lustig communication arts.
Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Giustis unique designs became widely praised covers for publications such as fortune, holiday, modern packaging, graphis and time. Jan mlodozeniec, 1956 alvin lustig, beautiful book design charley harper illustration from a biology book edward and the horse olle eksell vintag. In the 1960s, elaine worked as a designer for the jewish museum, producing some of her most opulent and iconic. Alvin lustig 19151955 changed the look of book jackets in the mid. Fifties designer alvin lustigs book jackets provide inspiration for painted walls and floors. Jan mlodozeniec cover design for john steinbecks the pearl poland design. Preface by new directions publisher james laughlin and statement by the designer alvin lustig followed by 19 original dust jackets. Type combined with geometric shapes or drawings created abstract. Nick watson uk was the fastest person to type the entire alphabet on a qwerty keyboard in exactly seven seconds on june 9th, 2006. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of continue reading. Such is alvin lustigs 1953 paperback cover for lorca. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig rit press rit.
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