The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and wellresearched representation of lustigs book cover designs that were created primarily. 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. The opportunity to design this series of book jackets was an unusual one. 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. Lustig was ultimately responsible for developing a distinctive style of dust jacket that served. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book cover, book jacket. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig rit press rit. Lustig was a modernist designer who partook in nearly all disciplines of design we, of course, focus on the book jackets. I discovered lustigs work as a teenager in the early 1990s. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about alvin. Alvin lustig papers, 19351955 archives of american art. Purity of aim the book jacket designs of alvin lustig 0. Alvin lustigs restless curiosity during his short life was employed across many areas of art and design.
Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer books. According to lustig cohen, the exhibition marks the first time that their work has been shown side by side. Each of his allencompassing book covers had a life and character of its own, focusing on more than just one general image. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig graphic design archives chapbook 9781933360485. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Fifties designer alvin lustigs book jackets provide inspiration for painted walls and floors. Meridian books, thirteenth printing may a later printing, with the. 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 publisher of new directions books. New directions publishing published several of tennessee williams plays and lustig was the one who designed the book jackets for the first edition of williams work.
See more ideas about alvin lustig, book design and book cover design. Amazing illustrative and colorful book covers by one of our favorite designers. His career highlights include numerous book jackets for new directions and noonday press. 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. Rarely is the graphic designer given the chance to act upon what he considers his highest level upon a problem of serious intentions. And he did it all before dying at the young age of 40. His book jackets for new directions spoke to me in the way intriguing album artwork did. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and well researched representation of lustigs book cover designs that were created primarily. Bookjackets by alvin lustig for new directions books, 1947. The life and design of alvin lustig hardcover sep 15 2010. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book jacket and graphic design. Included are books, architecture, interiors, ads, identity and print.
Jason gabbert 1 the book jacktes of alvin lustig by james laughlin, new directions print magazine, octnov 1956 2 born modern by steven heller eye magazine 1993, vol. In his poetic book covers of the 1940s, he remade the visual. Alvin lustigs contributions to the design of books and book jackets. If you would like to look deeper into his life and work, visit the alvin lustig archive, dedicated to him. 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. Instead of making book jackets that tried summarizing the book, he would read it and gain a sense of what the writer was trying to portray. Between 1941 and 1952, lustig produced one masterpiece after another stylized, fragmented, some combining multiple photographs, others drawn by hand in glorious abstraction. Through collecting, preserving, and providing access to our collections, the archives inspires new ways of interpreting the visual arts in america and allows current and future generations to piece together the nations rich artistic and cultural heritage.
Gazing at the bold and colorful use of art and typography in each cover, i found myself wanting to read all of the books in the collection. Magazines, interiors, book jackets, packaging, fabrics, hotels, mall signage, the opening credits of the cartoon mr. Alvin lustig was an american book designer, graphic designer and typeface designer. His dust jackets were minimal distillations of the spirit of a books contents, with. In 1944 he became director of visual research for alvin lustig by james laughlin, new directions 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. After the time of world war ii, new directions developed a close relationship with the artist alvin lustig, who designed modernist abstract book jackets. 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, the book jackets of alvin lustig, print, vol. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of continue reading. Alvin lustig book cover design, vintage book covers.
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. His dust jackets were minimal distillations of the spirit of a book s contents, with. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of. With his first book for new directions, alvin lustig began a partnership that would revolutionize the art of book cover design. 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. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for exiles by james joyce, new directions books, 1947. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for exiles by james joyce. It collects more than 500 coversof paperback and hardcover books, magazines, and catalogsby alvin, who died in 1955, and elaine, who carried on her husbands practice and quickly became an equally accomplished designer.
Included are books, architecture, interiors, ads, identity. Elaine lustig cohen, wife of alvin lustig, is a book and jacket designer and artist. 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. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Exiles by james joyce cover design by alvin lustig 1945. The alvin lustig collection was donated to rit in 1986 by his widow, elaine lustig cohen. The alvin lustig archive includes over 400 designs from this important modern american design pioneer. 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. Magooeven a helicopteralvin lustig designed all of them. Alvin lustig s restless curiosity during his short life was employed across many areas of art and design. Alvin lustig, revolutionary book jacket designer and recipient of a 1993 aiga medal. Some of the works that feature lustigs artwork include, orpheus descending, cat on a hot tin roof. The golden age of the illustrated book dust jacket.
He always felt the title graphic designer was too limiting, and its clear why. He illustrated the book covers of eminent literary figures, for instance, james joyce, ezra pound, william carlos williams and gertrude stein. With his first book for new directions, alvin lustig began a partnership that. Alvin lustig, 1946 all book covers for new directions, unless otherwise noted. James laughlin in the book jackets of alvin lustig had this to say about lustig. Alvin lustig believed that painting was dead and that design would emerge as a primary art form.
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