ALVIN LUSTIG ALVIN LUSTIG
Introduction One of the most inventive, but least remembered, contemperary designers was Alvin Lustig. He is now celebrated for his modern book and book jacket designs. Now, he is barely recognized for his contributions to progressive advertising. He had a growing client roster who understood that being modern was essential to capturing the interests of customers, and Lustig had an ideal aesthetic sense. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of Modern art to graphic design that have had a long-term influence on contemporary practice.
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Introduction One of the most inventive, but least remembered, contemperary designers was Alvin Lustig. He is now celebrated for his modern book and book jacket designs. Now, he is barely recognized for his contributions to progressive advertising. He had a growing client roster who understood that being modern was essential to capturing the interests of customers, and Lustig had an ideal aesthetic sense. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of Modern art to graphic design that have had a long-term influence on contemporary practice.
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Table of Contents Biography..........................................................................................8 WORKS
• Book Covers...............................................................................10 • New Classics Series....................................................................12 • Posters........................................................................................14 • Look Magazine...........................................................................16 • Knoll Advertisement..................................................................18 • Other Works..............................................................................20 Credits.............................................................................................23
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Table of Contents Biography..........................................................................................8 WORKS
• Book Covers...............................................................................10 • New Classics Series....................................................................12 • Posters........................................................................................14 • Look Magazine...........................................................................16 • Knoll Advertisement..................................................................18 • Other Works..............................................................................20 Credits.............................................................................................23
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Biography Alvin Lustig was born on February 8, 1915, in Denver, Colorado, US. He is an American book designer, graphic designer and typeface designer. He received his formal art education from Los Angeles City College, Art Center. He also studied design independently with American architect Frank Lloyd Wright at his Taliesin studio. In 1937, he started his professional career designing book jackets in Los Angeles. Look Magazine offered him a position as the Director of their Visual Research department, in 1944. He also provided his design expertise to Girl Scouts of the United States and Fortune. In 1945, he started to design book jackets at New Directions Publishing, an independent publishing company. For a decade, he designed over seventy dust jackets for the New Classics literary series. In 1949, for Paramount Furniture in Beverly Hills, he designed a piece of furniture that came to be known as the “Lustig Chair”. The original design of the chair has inspired the following generations of designers. He was invited by Josef Albers to teach
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at Black Mountain College in 1945, and at Yale in 1951. Unfortunately, Lustig developed diabetes at an early stage of his life. As a result of diabetes, he was virtually blind by 1954. He also developed Kimmelstiel-Wilson syndrome, an incurable kidney disease connected to diabetes. He passed away on December 5, 1955, aged 40, from the complications of his diseases. Posthumously, Lustig was put into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame. Additionally, he was presented the AIGA medal by the American Institute of Graphic Arts, in 1993. They remember him with the words that his artwork will influence the practice of graphic design in America.
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Biography Alvin Lustig was born on February 8, 1915, in Denver, Colorado, US. He is an American book designer, graphic designer and typeface designer. He received his formal art education from Los Angeles City College, Art Center. He also studied design independently with American architect Frank Lloyd Wright at his Taliesin studio. In 1937, he started his professional career designing book jackets in Los Angeles. Look Magazine offered him a position as the Director of their Visual Research department, in 1944. He also provided his design expertise to Girl Scouts of the United States and Fortune. In 1945, he started to design book jackets at New Directions Publishing, an independent publishing company. For a decade, he designed over seventy dust jackets for the New Classics literary series. In 1949, for Paramount Furniture in Beverly Hills, he designed a piece of furniture that came to be known as the “Lustig Chair”. The original design of the chair has inspired the following generations of designers. He was invited by Josef Albers to teach
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at Black Mountain College in 1945, and at Yale in 1951. Unfortunately, Lustig developed diabetes at an early stage of his life. As a result of diabetes, he was virtually blind by 1954. He also developed Kimmelstiel-Wilson syndrome, an incurable kidney disease connected to diabetes. He passed away on December 5, 1955, aged 40, from the complications of his diseases. Posthumously, Lustig was put into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame. Additionally, he was presented the AIGA medal by the American Institute of Graphic Arts, in 1993. They remember him with the words that his artwork will influence the practice of graphic design in America.
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Book Covers
3 Tragedies, Federico Garcia Lorca, 1948 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig
One of his influential works was his 1949 paperback cover for Lorca: 3 Tragedies. It became the basis for many great contemporary book jackets and paperback covers. The current preference among American book jacket designers is fragmented images, photo-illustration, minimal typography, and rebuslike compositions. It can be traced directly to Lustig’s cover for Lorca, a grid of five symbolic photographs linked in poetic disharmony. Before, when Lustig was introduced to American book publishing in the late 1940s, covers and jackets were mostly illustrative and also rather decorative. He believed that he should not design a book cover that summarized a book through one generalized image.
The Wisdom of the Heart, Henry Miller, 1941 Book jacket designed by Alvin Lustig
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Book Covers
3 Tragedies, Federico Garcia Lorca, 1948 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig
One of his influential works was his 1949 paperback cover for Lorca: 3 Tragedies. It became the basis for many great contemporary book jackets and paperback covers. The current preference among American book jacket designers is fragmented images, photo-illustration, minimal typography, and rebuslike compositions. It can be traced directly to Lustig’s cover for Lorca, a grid of five symbolic photographs linked in poetic disharmony. Before, when Lustig was introduced to American book publishing in the late 1940s, covers and jackets were mostly illustrative and also rather decorative. He believed that he should not design a book cover that summarized a book through one generalized image.
The Wisdom of the Heart, Henry Miller, 1941 Book jacket designed by Alvin Lustig
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New Classics Series by New Directions Lustig designed the New Classics Series from 1945 to 1952. The series succeeded, where other popular literary series, such as Modern Library and Everman’s Library, failed because of inconsistent art direction. Each New Classics jacket had its own character, with Lustig brilliantly maintaining unity through A Season in Hell, Arthur strict formal consistency. Rimbaud, 1945 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig
Amerika, Franz Kafka, 1946 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1945 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig The Wanderer, Alain Fournier, 1946 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig
Three Lives, Gertrude Stein, 1945 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig
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New Classics Series by New Directions Lustig designed the New Classics Series from 1945 to 1952. The series succeeded, where other popular literary series, such as Modern Library and Everman’s Library, failed because of inconsistent art direction. Each New Classics jacket had its own character, with Lustig brilliantly maintaining unity through A Season in Hell, Arthur strict formal consistency. Rimbaud, 1945 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig
Amerika, Franz Kafka, 1946 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1945 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig The Wanderer, Alain Fournier, 1946 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig
Three Lives, Gertrude Stein, 1945 Book cover designed by Alvin Lustig
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Magazines
Look Magazine
Fortune Lustig designed a couple issues for Fortune, an American multinational business magazine, in the 1940s and 1950s. He spent days altering forms utilizing traditional design to create Fortune, Magazine, 1946 some tangible pieces.
Lustig moved to New York in 1944, where he became visual research director of Look magazine’s design department until 1946. He designed progressive-looking printed house organs and promotional materials.
Cover designed by Alvin Lustig
Fortune, Magazine, 1952 Cover designed by Alvin Lustig
Staff: In house publication for Look Magazine, 1944-45
Staff: In house publication for Look Magazine, 1944-45
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Magazines
Look Magazine
Fortune Lustig designed a couple issues for Fortune, an American multinational business magazine, in the 1940s and 1950s. He spent days altering forms utilizing traditional design to create Fortune, Magazine, 1946 some tangible pieces.
Lustig moved to New York in 1944, where he became visual research director of Look magazine’s design department until 1946. He designed progressive-looking printed house organs and promotional materials.
Cover designed by Alvin Lustig
Fortune, Magazine, 1952 Cover designed by Alvin Lustig
Staff: In house publication for Look Magazine, 1944-45
Staff: In house publication for Look Magazine, 1944-45
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Girl Scouts
Noonday Press
In 1953, Lustig designed various print materials such as catalogs, announcements, and manuals, for the Girl Scouts of America. He transformed their graphic identity of homespun quaintness to sophisticated Modern.
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Lustig’s covers for Noonday Press were produced between 1951 and 1955. It avoided the rigity of both traditional and Modern aesthetics. He focused on literary and social critism, philosophy and history. Lustig B switched from pictorial imagery to pure typography set against flat color backgrounds. C
A) The Playright as Thinker, Eric Bentley, 1955 Book jacket designed by Alvin Lustig Girl Scouts of America, Catalogs & Announcements, 1953-55 Designed by Alvin Lustig
B) Imperialism and Social Classes, Joseph Schumpeter, 1955 Book jacket designed by Alvin Lustig Girl Scouts of America, Catalogs & Announcements, 1953-55 Designed by Alvin Lustig
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C) Rousseau and Romanticism, Irving Babbitt, 1955 Book jacket design by Alvin Lustig
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Girl Scouts
Noonday Press
In 1953, Lustig designed various print materials such as catalogs, announcements, and manuals, for the Girl Scouts of America. He transformed their graphic identity of homespun quaintness to sophisticated Modern.
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Lustig’s covers for Noonday Press were produced between 1951 and 1955. It avoided the rigity of both traditional and Modern aesthetics. He focused on literary and social critism, philosophy and history. Lustig B switched from pictorial imagery to pure typography set against flat color backgrounds. C
A) The Playright as Thinker, Eric Bentley, 1955 Book jacket designed by Alvin Lustig Girl Scouts of America, Catalogs & Announcements, 1953-55 Designed by Alvin Lustig
B) Imperialism and Social Classes, Joseph Schumpeter, 1955 Book jacket designed by Alvin Lustig Girl Scouts of America, Catalogs & Announcements, 1953-55 Designed by Alvin Lustig
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C) Rousseau and Romanticism, Irving Babbitt, 1955 Book jacket design by Alvin Lustig
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Knoll Advertisements
Knoll Ads in Arts & Architecture, 1945, designed by Alvin Lustig.
Commissioned by Hans Knoll, Lustig designed a series of twelve full-page ads collectively called “Equipment for Living,” published in January 1945. The yearlong campaign combined monochrome photographs of furniture, each one professing some or all of the company’s virtues: economy, form, structure. Lustig often manipulated images of the chairs, isolating their parts, overlaying them atop shapes and line drawings, and transforming them into intriguing abstract patterns.
Left: Announcement for Hans G. Knoll in Arts & Architecture, advertisement campaign, 1944, designed by Alvin Lustig. Right:Knoll Ad in Arts & Architecture, 1945, designed by Alvin Lustig.
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Knoll Ads in Arts & Architecture, 1945, designed by Alvin Lustig.
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Knoll Advertisements
Knoll Ads in Arts & Architecture, 1945, designed by Alvin Lustig.
Commissioned by Hans Knoll, Lustig designed a series of twelve full-page ads collectively called “Equipment for Living,” published in January 1945. The yearlong campaign combined monochrome photographs of furniture, each one professing some or all of the company’s virtues: economy, form, structure. Lustig often manipulated images of the chairs, isolating their parts, overlaying them atop shapes and line drawings, and transforming them into intriguing abstract patterns.
Left: Announcement for Hans G. Knoll in Arts & Architecture, advertisement campaign, 1944, designed by Alvin Lustig. Right:Knoll Ad in Arts & Architecture, 1945, designed by Alvin Lustig.
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Knoll Ads in Arts & Architecture, 1945, designed by Alvin Lustig.
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Other Works
Typeface
Lustig Chair In 1949, for Paramount Furniture in Beverly Hills, he designed a piece of furniture that came to be known as the “Lustig Chair”. The original design of the chair has inspired the later generations of designers. Lustig Elements, Typeface, 2015, designed by Alvin Lustig, Craig Welsh and Elaine Lustig Cohen Upholstered Chair for Paramount Furniture, Los Angeles, 1949
Textiles Lustig sketched out his textiles ideas while craftsmen fabricated them, and some of his chairs and textiles were commercially produced and sold in modest numbers. His textile designs were also included in his office workspace, often as curtains.
In 1939, Lustig designed a typeface entitled “Euclid.” There were very few examples of its application, and the entire font was not displayed. Together Lustig Cohen and Welsh, created all the necessary characters, punctuation and glyphs, and renamed the font to Lustig Elements.
Lustig is known for his expertise in virtually all the design disciplines, which he seamlessly integrated into his life. He designed in all types of medium, such as book jackets, record albums, magazines, advertisements, commercial catalogs, annual reports, and office spaces and textiles.
‘Counterchange’ Fabric design for L. Anton Maix, 1949
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Other Works
Typeface
Lustig Chair In 1949, for Paramount Furniture in Beverly Hills, he designed a piece of furniture that came to be known as the “Lustig Chair”. The original design of the chair has inspired the later generations of designers. Lustig Elements, Typeface, 2015, designed by Alvin Lustig, Craig Welsh and Elaine Lustig Cohen Upholstered Chair for Paramount Furniture, Los Angeles, 1949
Textiles Lustig sketched out his textiles ideas while craftsmen fabricated them, and some of his chairs and textiles were commercially produced and sold in modest numbers. His textile designs were also included in his office workspace, often as curtains.
In 1939, Lustig designed a typeface entitled “Euclid.” There were very few examples of its application, and the entire font was not displayed. Together Lustig Cohen and Welsh, created all the necessary characters, punctuation and glyphs, and renamed the font to Lustig Elements.
Lustig is known for his expertise in virtually all the design disciplines, which he seamlessly integrated into his life. He designed in all types of medium, such as book jackets, record albums, magazines, advertisements, commercial catalogs, annual reports, and office spaces and textiles.
‘Counterchange’ Fabric design for L. Anton Maix, 1949
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Credits • https://www.knoll.com/knollnewsdetail/economy-form- structure-alvin-lustig • https://www.famousgraphicdesigners.org/alvin-lustig • http://www.alvinlustig.com/index.php • https://www.aiga.org/medalist-alvinlustig • https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/design-history-101-lustig- elements/
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Credits • https://www.knoll.com/knollnewsdetail/economy-form- structure-alvin-lustig • https://www.famousgraphicdesigners.org/alvin-lustig • http://www.alvinlustig.com/index.php • https://www.aiga.org/medalist-alvinlustig • https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/design-history-101-lustig- elements/
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Designed by Sherry Lam