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New York City-based graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister, known for his unorthodox and provocative work, tests the conceptual and aesthetic boundaries of design, often eliciting strong reactions. For an AIGA lecture in 1999, Sagmeister “famously had the lettering for the poster carved into his naked body; for his 2003 ‘Sagmeister on a binge’ exhibition poster, he ate 100 different junk foods, gaining more than 25 pounds, and took ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs of his semi-nude body. For a short typographic film, he dangled precariously out of an upper-story window of the Empire State Building as police scrambled with nets below. The list goes on” (Heller, Stefan Sagmeister).
Rather than each of Sagmeister’s works being seen as just
another shocking piece in his portfolio, much of his work is tied together by a connection that some viewers may not see: the use of his body. In many cases, his internal self can be seen through the expression of his own thoughts and personality, while the external self can be seen through the use of his physical body. In looking at color, composition, and messaging of his work, it is evident that Sagmeister’s imprint exists in many pieces, either in a very obvious or subtle way. This approach to design—at least to the extent of Sagmeister’s personal trace—is an area rarely touched by other designers.
The scope of this investigation begins with his work from the
1990s when he started his own studio and continues through his current partnership with Jessica Walsh. Whether it is as simple as using his handwriting, photographing his body, or presenting his maxims, some residue of Sagmeister is left in his designs.
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In the investigation of Sagmeister’s design as a canvas for personal traces of himself and body, it is essential to look closer at how composition affects his work’s meaning and message.
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Sagmeister’s practice of using bold concepts and visuals can be seen in the messages of his designs. His work incorporates both his own practices of using self-developed maxims and experimental typography with the needs and messages of the client. Whether it is as simple as handwriting, a glimpse into the mind of Sagmeister through maxims, or a photograph of his body, some residue of Sagmeister is left in his designs.
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AIZONE FW 12 Sagmeister worked with Jessica Walsh and their studio to execute an advertising campaign for Aizone, a luxury department store in the Middle East (Figure 16). It was made to promote the store in the Fall and Winter of 2012 while expressing the spirited nature of the brand. The audience of the campaign was people who live in Lebanon. Therefore, the designs appeared in Lebanese magazines, newspapers, and billboards (Sagmeister & Walsh). The store has international brands and is marketed as the more casual side of Aishti—the larger luxury department store—and exists as a separate store.
Aizone FW 12 is a campaign for a fashion client that includes
Sagmeister’s use of experimental, environmental, and physical typography, just like the compositions of projects in Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far. Using objects to create letters and using that type in an environment is a feature of many designs by Sagmeister. Sagmeister’s Things I Have Learned series was inspired by his grandfather, who was educated in sign painting and who always expressed pieces of wisdom in the house (Heyward). Sagmeister brings forth this personal source not only in Things I Have Learned, but also in this fashion campaign. The graphic design language not only shows his explorative type and a personal trace, but also suits the client’s needs of promoting the store.
The visual content for these compositions includes models in
empty industrial spaces and object-based typographic statements. These
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The color, composition, and message of Sagmeister’s work operate together to communicate, as well as bring forth traces of Sagmeister’s self. Fusing these three components, an understanding can be made for how his work functions as a strong piece with a Sagmeister fingerprint.
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“An old, gay English man came to speak to my students at the School of Visual Arts, and said he used to tell students that everyone is interesting. They said ‘No, that can’t be true, there are so many boring people out there,’ and then he came back and said, ‘Okay, people who are honest, they’re interesting.’ That was a real insight for me. To be honest is fairly easy to me. And of course, you work to be interesting, so why not just make it honest?” (qtd. in Sisson). Sagmeister adds interest by not being one of these “boring” people; integrating his body is a form that is true and distinct to himself, which also calls attention to his work and provokes reactions.
Whether it is as simple as using his handwriting, photographing
his body, or presenting his maxims, some element of Sagmeister is left in his designs. Although some designers have added personal components to their work before, Sagmeister is a rare case in which he has consistently been able to leave his presence—in a great number of pieces within a large collection of work. The degree to which his body relates to the piece varies, with his self either taking on a prominent role or having a less visible connection.
Sagmeister’s designs show a person behind the work. It is
far from generic or cookie-cutter. His more human approach to design expresses a greater level of truth to origin: a piece created not just by any designer, but a designer who shows that they are a human being with his or her own thoughts, personality, and physical expression. With the resurfacing of modernism in the nineties, Sagmeister claims it was natural
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Sagmeister is involved in personal explorations which he then
uses to expand the realm of graphic design. For example, his TED talks show two personal explorations that have led to design exploration: 1) his idea of taking time off—his sabbaticals that led to even more work utilizing his mind and body, like Things I Have Learned—and 2) happiness— in his Happy Show/Film projects, he used his body as a design tool to investigate happiness and then visually depict results. He takes subjects that he is personally connected to or intrigued by and explores these subjects through design.
Sagmeister’s use of his body as a palette for design proves
to be a strong solution in many his works. Even with his wide range of experimentation, his personal trace remains a component that ties much of his work together. For his 2004 School of Visual Arts Exhibition poster (Figure 30), Sagmeister stated, “A number of months ago I promised: 1. I will not milk our handwriting schtick (sic) anymore. 2. I will not appear in any of our posters. We actually did try out numerous other ideas, all refreshingly of handwritten scribbles and vain self-portraits. At the end we liked ourselves best again” (Sagmeister & Walsh).
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2015 GW Corcoran School of the Arts and Design Special Thanks to Antonio Alcalรก and Alice Powers Special Thanks to Steven Heller
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