Spotlight on Herb Lubalin

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Herb Lubalin Born in 1918 in New York, Herb Lubalin was colourblind and ambidextrous. He studied design at Cooper Union and began his career in advertising, stayed in the field for 20 years before setting up his own design form in 1964.

Lubalin was to become the artistic director for publisher Ralph Ginzburgs ‘Eros’ magazine which was to be the first in a series of collaborations that was to last 9 years across three publications, the last of which was Avant Garde.

In the latter years of the 1960’s, the Avant Garde magazine was born.

Avant garde means to favour or introduce new and experimental ideas and methods, and this is exactly what the publication did; through its openly erotic content, nonconformist views on politics, experimental content and layouts. Ginzburg and Lubalin challenged common perceptions and opinions, gaining them acclaim and criticism.

The magazine folded in 1971 after four years, but the logo lived on as the inspiration behind the typeface of the same name.

Insert: ‘Signature’ experimental typography based on the work of Herb Lubalin.

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Originally, the avant garde typeface was intended only as a display font for the magazine, however there was sufficient interest in the typeface that Lubalin and Carnase created a

full upper and lower case set. This typeface was one of the first to be released by the ITC type foundry founded by Lubalin, Aaron Burns and Edward Rondthaler. It can be seen in use today by brands such as Adidas, Macy’s and a lipbalm range by Nivea called Labello.

With its tight fitting letterforms, interesting angles and elongated lines, Avant Garde has come to symbolise, as Ginzburg once noted, “the advanced,

the innovative and the creative”.

After the close of Avant Garde, Lubalin founded his own magazine, U&lc (Upper & Lower Case). Noted as a precursor to the much lauded ‘Emigre’ magazine, this publication gave recognition to Lubalins experimental typography and design layouts. He once more pushed the limits of what was seen as acceptable in the typographic realm and championed type in its own right; type as artwork.

Lubalin was to work on U&lc until his death in 1981 and delighted in being his own client, producing the work exactly how he wanted and inspiring generations of typographers to the present day. Sometimes referred to as the ‘father of conceptual typography’, the influence of his work can be seen today in the way type is set in advertising and the insertion of political and social statements in desgn.

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SPOTLIGHT

Copyright © 2017 E.Simankowicz Made and designed in Melbourne, Australia