With his first book for new directions, alvin lustig began a partnership that would revolutionize the art of book cover design. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer books. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and well researched representation of. Sep 14, 2012 in steven heller and elaine lustig cohens book, born modern. He further rejected the typical cover design that summarized a book through one generalized image. His method was to read a manuscript to get the feel of the authors creative drive, then restate it in his own graphic terms.
George giusti, an italianborn and educated designer, first established a professional practice in switzerland and later, in the united states. Book jackets by alvin lustig for new directions books. Alvin lustig died in new york on december 5, 1955, survived by his widow elaine firstenberg lustig, whom he had married in 1948. There is nothing in the book world today which compares with them for color, for variety, for life, for appeal to the intelligence. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for exiles by james joyce, new. Sadly, in later editions, this was removed and replaced by a fonta rather illfitting akzidenzgrotesk bold. Alvin lustig is one of our alltime favorite designers.
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. Book jackets by alvin lustig for new directions booksfrom the collection of letterform archive. Five questions with steven heller about alvin lustig print. He began to study design in california after high school and has contributed much to the design of books, book jackets, magazines, and textiles. 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. Twentyfifth commencement, beverly hills high school, graphic and designart by alvin lustig b. See more objects with the color gainsboro sienna darkgrey burlywood. Not surprisingly, it turned out steve was already working on a biography formatted like a.
There is nothing in the book world today which compares with them for color, for. Alvin lustig was a renowned twentieth century graphic designer. Between 1941 and 1952, lustig produced one masterpiece after another stylized, fragmented, some combining multiple photographs, others drawn by hand in glorious abstraction. See more objects with the color bisque darkseagreen silver darkslategrey or see all. Giustis unique designs became widely praised covers for publications such as fortune, holiday, modern packaging, graphis and time. Alvin lustig, 1946 all book covers for new directions, unless otherwise noted. 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. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for the wanderer by alain fournier, new. Alvin lustig graphic designer vv published in us in 2014 by studio art ff. By the time he died at the age of 40 in 1955, he had already introduced principles of modern art to graphic design. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options.
Nov 23, 2017 the golden age of the illustrated book dust jacket. Purity of aim the book jacket designs of alvin lustig 0. For his valuable contribution to graphic design two of the most prestigious american art clubs honored him with the accolades. Art by alvin lustig for anatomy for interior designers. It is obvious that the series of jacket designs which alvin lustig has made for my new classics books is a constant pleasure to the eye. Lustig seldom relied on literal solutions for his cover designs. Biography an introduction about alvin lustig and his lifetime.
Jan 06, 2009 a few days ago, i remembered that i liked design observera collective blog that occasionally includes posts from the great steven heller. Chermayeff worked as an assistant to alvin lustig, a noted designer of book jackets, and as a designer of album covers for columbia records before starting his firm. He hung floortoceiling curtains made from ninon, an inexpensive white transparent nylon fabric, to smooth out the edges of the room. Alvin lustig, revolutionary book jacket designer and recipient of a 1993 aiga medal, models. The life and design of alvin lustig, the authors describe his coverdesign process. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book design and book cover design. His dust jackets were minimal distillations of the spirit of a book s contents, with. Laughlins imprints, fiftyfour, in color, are included in the book with six covers. The celebratory event and ceremony, which took place in new york city, highlighted her exemplary design work and career, citing her as a pioneering graphic designer, artist and archivist. This freeform design would have to be done with care, with a series of stencils, we imagine, shapes carefully cut out of big sheets of thin but firm plastic. Included are books, architecture, interiors, ads, identity. This volume exhibits lustig s highly influential book jacket designs, architecture and industrial design. I first met the artist and designer elaine lustig cohen through the website dedicated to her former husband, the legendary designer alvin lustig.
Lustig was a modernist designer who partook in nearly all disciplines of design we, of course, focus on the book jackets. The opportunity to design this series of book jackets was an unusual one. 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. Jun 03, 2018 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. 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. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer the book jackets of. Readers of print may remember steves homage to lustig from the janfeb 2004 issue. Alvin lustig gets an impressive eightyeight page look at his book jackets for new directions. 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.
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. Now available, 4 of our favorite new directions, new classics series book jackets, beautifully designed by alvin lustig as limited edition, fine art screen prints. Alvin lustigs contributions to the design of books and book jackets. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and wellresearched representation of lustig s book cover designs that were created primarily for new directions books and noonday press, among others. In denver, colorado on the year of 1915, alvin lustig was born. Anyway, there was a post or a link or some other worm hole a few months ago that led to a flickr page of book covers designed by alvin lustig for new directions in the late 1940s.
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. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book cover, book jacket. An alvin lustig and super weird one at that boy is that satyr lo. His sense of color and ability to seamlessly weave simple and beautiful illustrations into his. 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. His wideranging work from the 1940s and early 1950s included book and book jacket design, magazines, letterheads, catalogs, signage. This is a later release variation of lustigs design, which originally was in color.
Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for exiles by james joyce. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. I asked if he would write the introductory essay, outlining lustigs role in modern design history. Back in 2006, i had been asked to get in touch with the estate regarding his jacket designs for new directions. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for the wanderer by alain. 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. Rarely is the graphic designer given the chance to act upon what he considers his highest level upon a problem of serious intentions. Oct 05, 2010 six months ago, i wrote to steven heller about an idea i had for a book on the subject of designer alvin lustig. His graphic design is heavily influenced by modern art. See more objects with the color bisque darkseagreen silver darkslategrey or see all the colors for this object. Alvin lustig graphic designer vv published in us in 2014.
Oct 03, 2017 alvin lustig is a known graphic and typeface designer. James laughlin in the book jackets of alvin lustig had this to say about lustig. Elaine lustig cohen born modern showcases the work of the seminal midcentury modernist designer alvin lustig. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig rit press rit. Alvin lustig revolutionizing the approach to book cover design in the lustig would attempt to get a sense of the writers direction from reading the book and then translate it into his own graphic style. Sep 22, 2015 each of his allencompassing book covers had a life and character of its own, focusing on more than just one general image. His wideranging work from the 1940s and early 1950s included book and book jacket design. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and wellresearched representation of.
By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of continue reading. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about this site. A oneman exhibition of lustig s work was mounted by new yorks ad gallery in 1949 and traveled to walker art center in minneapolis. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about alvin. Each print is 2color with an image size of 11w x 15 34h printed on 16w x 20h paper individually stamped and numbered by hand in an edition of 100. In april 2012, elaine lustig cohen was awarded the 2011 aiga medal, the most distinguished honor offered by the aiga, the american professional organization for design. Lustig used the book cover as a vehicle of his bold graphic experimentation that was enhanced by a lifelong.
Aldous huxleys words and their meanings book cover design by alvin lustig a paul rand. The golden age of the illustrated book dust jacket. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig by ned drew 20100901 ned drew. Feb 22, 2018 alvin lustigs distinctive handrendered lettering was a key pictorial feature of the early editions of this striking jacket design. May 20, 20 with his first book for new directions, alvin lustig began a partnership that would revolutionize the art of book cover design. Exiles by james joyce cover design by alvin lustig 1945. See more ideas about alvin lustig, cover design and book cover design. Alvin lustig s restless curiosity during his short life was employed across many areas of art and design. 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. The current preference among american book jacket designers for fragmented images, photoillustration, minimal typography and rebuslike compositions can be traced directly to lustigs stark blackandwhite cover for lorca, a grid of five symbolic photographs linked in poetic disharmony.
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