The time finally arrived to do a book on alvin lustig. Aug 20, 2015 new directions is a series of small sculptures by mexican artist edgar orlaineta. Not surprisingly, it turned out steve was already working on a biography formatted like a. 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. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig rit press rit.
The opportunity to design this series of book jackets was an unusual one. Lustigs book cover designs that were created primarily for new directions books and. I asked if he would write the introductory essay, outlining lustigs role in modern design history. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for the wanderer by alain fournier, new directions books, book cover from 2004 books with alvin lustig dust jackets calligraphy alphabet by twentysixletters street art utopia. 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. 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. Alvin lustigs contributions to the design of books and book jackets. A colorful history of judging books by their covers.
In his latest collection, the illustrated dust jacket. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about alvin lustig. For new directions books alvin lustig and james laughlin. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer books. Magooeven a helicopteralvin lustig designed all of them. Alvin lustig modern american designer pioneer ehehr1955s. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of. She began as a book designer for new directions and meridian books. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about alvin.
Included are books, architecture, interiors, ads, identity. He began designing book covers in 1937 and revolutionized the approach to book cover design in the 1940s. Alvin lustig was an american graphic designer, typeface designer and teacher. Elaine lustig cohen on the late alvin lustig and the art, and archiving, of the book jacket. It stands out with its symbolic acuity, compositional strength and typographic. 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. Alvin lustigs contributions to the design of books and book jackets, magazines.
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. By the time he died at the age of 40 in 1955, he had already introduced principles of modern art to graphic design. Five questions with steven heller about alvin lustig. 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. Meridian books, thirteenth printing may a later printing, with the. Readers of print may remember steves homage to lustig from the janfeb 2004 issue. Alvin lustig, revolutionary book jacket designer and recipient of a 1993 aiga medal. 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.
Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about this site. I discovered lustigs work as a teenager in the early 1990s. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and wellresearched representation of lustig s book cover designs that were created primarily. Cover by alvin lustig, american graphic designer and typeface designer. As a tangent from our normal interview posts, today were showing off some of the alvin lustig covers we collect courtesy of charles brock and tim green and can you blame us. Magooeven a helicopteralvin lustig designed all of. Between 1941 and 1952, lustig produced one masterpiece after another stylized, fragmented, some combining multiple photographs, others drawn by hand in glorious abstraction.
Back in 2006, i had been asked to get in touch with the estate regarding his jacket designs for new directions. 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. After the time of world war ii, new directions developed a close relationship with the artist alvin lustig, who designed modernist abstract book jackets. One of his most memorable masterpieces is that of the book cover, lorca. 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. Fifties designer alvin lustigs book jackets provide inspiration for painted walls and floors. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Each cover displayed an artistic unity where even the books title and author.
Each cover displayed an artistic unity where even the books title and author became. Dec 18, 2017 a colorful history of judging books by their covers. Biography an introduction about alvin lustig and his lifetime. In the course of this alvin lustig revival, elaine has also garnered widespread attention and acclaim as an artist. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book design and book cover design. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig graphic design archives chapbook 9781933360485. Cool album covers best book covers book cover design book design paper design retro graphic design mid century art book jacket album book. For his valuable contribution to graphic design two of the most prestigious american art clubs honored him with the accolades. 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. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for exiles by james joyce. 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. May 27, 2012 born modern by steven heller eye magazine 1993, vol. Steve heller and i had been talking about putting this together for years.
The current preference among american book jacket designers for fragmented. May 20, 20 with his first book for new directions, alvin lustig began a partnership that would revolutionize the art of book cover design. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. There is nothing in the book world today which compares with them for color, for variety, for life, for appeal to the intelligence. 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 is a colorful and. 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. Lustig was ultimately responsible for developing a distinctive style of dust jacket that served as a new directions hallmark for many years. Six months ago, i wrote to steven heller about an idea i had for a book on the subject of designer alvin lustig.
Architects such as eero saarinan and philip johnson hired her to do the lettering for their buildings. 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 communication. 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. Alvin lustig book cover design, vintage book covers, book. His book jackets for new directions spoke to me in the way intriguing album artwork did. Alvin lustig is one of our alltime favorite designers. Lustig was a modernist designer who partook in nearly all disciplines of design we, of course, focus on the book jackets. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. I first met the artist and designer elaine lustig cohen through the website dedicated to her former husband, the legendary designer alvin lustig.
Alvin lustig papers, 19351955 archives of american art. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book jacket and graphic design. It collects more than 500 coversof paperback and hardcover books, magazines, and catalogsby alvin, who died in 1955, and elaine, who. Lustig kept his hand in graphic design, continuing to produce quantities of book jackets for the new directions, knopf and noonday presses during the 1940s and 50s, and covers for several periodicals including fortune magazine. Weve all been told told not to judge a book by its cover, but what about judging a decade, an artistic moment, or a society. 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. 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. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for the wanderer by alain. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times.
Purity of aim the book jacket designs of alvin lustig 0. A colorful history of judging books by their covers the. Modern american design pioneer alvin lustig messerwerferin. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for exiles by james joyce, new directions books, 1947. Given the need for transportation of the books from the printing firms to bookstores, publishers had to protect these delicate covers with book jackets. Nov 23, 2017 the golden age of the illustrated book dust jacket. Magazines, interiors, book jackets, packaging, fabrics, hotels, mall signage, the opening credits of the cartoon mr. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book cover, book jacket. Amazing illustrative and colorful book covers by one of our favorite designers. Bookjackets by alvin lustig for new directions books, 1947. T raditionally, most manuscripts were covered in materials such as vellum or calf lather, but with the mass production of printed books, in the early nineteenth century, publishers began using cloth bound covers for their books. The alvin lustig archive includes over 400 designs from this important modern american design pioneer. A new collection of classic illustrations highlights the timeless appeal of dust jackets. 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.
Oct 21, 2017 a new collection of classic illustrations highlights the timeless appeal of dust jackets. Lustig used the book cover as a vehicle of his bold graphic experimentation that was enhanced by a lifelong collaboration. Included are books, architecture, interiors, ads, identity and print. With his first book for new directions, alvin lustig began a partnership that would revolutionize the art of book cover design. A streetcar named desire, with modernprimitivist art by alvin lustig. In the 1960s, elaine worked as a designer for the jewish museum, producing some of her most opulent and iconic. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for the wanderer by alain fournier, new directions books, 1947. James laughlin in the book jackets of alvin lustig had this to say about lustig. Alvin lustig was a renowned twentieth century graphic designer. The golden age of the illustrated book dust jacket. May 17, 2011 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. Rarely is the graphic designer given the chance to act.
131 530 1153 735 784 604 372 491 129 239 1044 682 927 299 427 824 1215 1299 709 346 335 594 834 768 1359 1265 1284 549 443 890 1274 321 1472 1471 665 412 941 963 614 1493 1146 339 873 280 500 593