FUSION November 2017
OctOber 2017 +++
++ + + + ++ +
fusion mag 1
American Graphic designer David Carson was born on September 8, 1954 in Texas. He graduated from San Diego University with a degree in Sociology. He was originally a high school teacher as well as a professional surfer- ranked 9th in the world back in the 1980’s. Today in the emotion of a design, however, David Carson is well known as a graphic designer, whose work is focused to read, before heavily on typography and photography. Carson had no formal training in design, tional re however this did not hinder the establishment of his unique, distinct design style. Carson’s method involves first reading the material to get an overall feel and atmosphere, in order whatever to create his designs, which are largely driven by his intuition. His typographic voice is easily recognizable as he often experiments with distortion and legibility of the type. Carson disregarded the fundamental rules of design by eliminating the use of grids in his work. His designs were often bright; with colours that contrasted with a grungy, chaotic aesthetic. Carson describes
indulgent.” The combination of typograph-
ical patterns and the disarray of photographs overlapping eachother- at first glance, seemed to be meaningless and unexplainable; however the
larger picture displayed a composition that conveyed spontaneity, vivid expression and emotion. Carson broke all the rules of design however his uncon-
ventional and highly experimental graphic style revolutionized the graphic design scene in the 1990’s.
on th
wI a n
io ss
mi
I n T u i T /
his work is “subjective, personal and very self
N
fusion mag
Y
Ray Gun showcased Carson’s unique style, and although not legible, Carson’s designs always communicated a message through spontaneous visual abstraction. Carson was able to showcase his distinct style, attracting new admirers and inspiring a new generation of young designers.
++
RA
GU
Carson was the director of Ray Gun magazine, for which he employed much of his typographical experimentations and layouts. Ray Gun was an alternative music and lifestyle magazine that debuted in 1992. In one issue, Carson incorporate the dingbat type; a font that consisted of only symbols- for an article on Bryan Ferry that he considered to be very boring.
2
Ray Gun cover, Issue 50
I’m a big
message
believer
and the that’s sent before somebody begins information; what is the emothey get the rest of the esponse they get to the story, to the painting -
it is” -David Carson
THE CA MET+ Carson gained admirers for his bold and radical work in Ray Gun magazine, fascinating young readers and causing a stir within the industry. The big corporations thus took notice and wanted to hire Carson for their brands. Carson quit his job at Ray Gun in 1995 to establish his own studio- David Carson Design in New York city.
He signed contracts with a host of major clients including Nike, Pepsi Cola, Ray Bans, Levi Strauss and MTV. In addition, Carson pub-
Cover for surfing and skating magazine- What Youth, Issue 11
David Carson has won over 230 awards for his work in Graphic Design, Photography, branding and advertising. These include: +Best overall Design, Society of Publications in New York +Cover of the Year, Society of Publication Designers in New York +Best Use of Photography in Graphic Design, International Centre of Photography +Designer of the Year (1998 and 1999) +Master of Typography, Graphics Magazine, New York +The most Famous Graphic Designer on the Planet- April 2004, London Creative Review Magazine +One of the 30 most Influential Mac users- 2014 +AIGA medal- 2014
“
fusion mag
lished a collection of his experimental graphic works including The End of Print: The Graphic Design of David Carson (1995) which sold over 200, 000 copies in five different languages before becoming the best-selling graphic design book worldwide. His other publications included 2nd Sight, Trek and Fotografiks- which Carson won the award for Best Use of Photography in Graphic Design. Carson continued to attract major clients from around the United States. In 1997 Carson designed the first issue of the adventure and lifestyle magazine which he named Blue. His cover design for the first issue was selected as one of the “Top 40 magazine covers of all time” by the American Society of Magazine Editors. Graphic Design USA Magazine (NYC) listed Carson as one of “the most influential graphic designers of the era” among Milton Glaser, Paul Rand, Saul Bass and Massimo Vignelli.
3
fusion mag
dAViD CaRSOn
4