fotograaf, typograaf, ontwerper lyss madden
pzwart at 1. Trio-Reclameboek, 1931.
i piett
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3. NKF catalogue: page 60, 1927-28.
2. Normalieënboekje, 1924.
p
iet Zwart; a Dutch photographer, typographer, designer and critic, was born on May 28, 1885 in Zaandijk, Netherlands. He attended the School of Applied Arts in Amsterdam from 1902 to 1907, and he began his career as a graphic designer in 1919 when he started as a draftsman for the architect Jan Wils, who was a member of t h e De-Stijl group. The D e - S t i j l movement adopted the visual elements associated with Cubism, the antisentimentalism of Dada, and the math theory of M. H. J. Schoenmaekers that described the concept of “ideal” geometric forms. Zwart, then, became assistant to H.P. Berlage, an influential Dutch architect with whom he worked for several years. 3
4. NKF catalogue: page 61, 1927-28.
t
hough he mainly trained as an architect, Piet Zwart is known for his popular and iconic graphic design work. He didn’t produce his first typographic work until age 36 when he was asked to design stationary for Jan Wils, and that work was reminiscent of the De-Stijl typographic style. Another guiding person in Zwart’s life was Vilmos Huszàr, who co-founded the De-Stijl magazine and designed the cover of the first issue. Together they traded ideas and made work together.
5. Het Bo
ek van P
TT, 1934
.
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7. Bruynzeel kitchen presentation, 1939.
piet zwart’s
work was influenced through ideas of De-Stijl, dada, and the international avant-garde, in particular: Russian Constructivism. 6. Bruynzeel kitchen drawing, 1937.
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8. Letterhead for Jan Wils, 1921.
9. MonografieĂŤn over Filmkunst: book covers, 1931. 6
9. Monografieën over Filmkunst: book covers, 1931. 10. Ook post voor u? poster, 1929.
12. Zagen, Boren, Viljen: Vickers House Advertising, 1923.
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11. broadcasting station Scheveningen: brochure, 1928.
‘Z
agen, boren, vijlen,” or “saws, drills, and files” is known as the most iconic work from this series for Vickers House. Zwart began to work with typography in the early 1920’s, and he did not know much about printing or anything about setting or using type. He didn’t even know the difference between upper and lower case letters. Working for the NKF, or the Nerderlandsche Kabelfabriek, helped Zwart begin to realize how little he knew abouttype and printing, and he was taught the ropes by an 18 year old assistant in a small printing company that worked for NKF. Piet Zwart referred to himself as a “typotekt,” or a combination typographer and architect. He would, as he said, “build words with type.”
Designed and written by Lyss Madden Composed in Georgia and Helvetica Neue Typefaces, designed by Matthew Carter and Max Miedinger Copyright Š 2020 Lyss Madden; Tewksbury, Massachusetts