The book jacket designs of alvin lustig graphic design archives chapbook 9781933360485. His career highlights include numerous book jackets for new directions and noonday press. Alvin lustig s restless curiosity during his short life was employed across many areas of art and design. Alvin lustig, 1946 all book covers for new directions, unless otherwise noted. Gazing at the bold and colorful use of art and typography in each cover, i found myself wanting to read all of the books in the collection. The life and design of alvin lustig hardcover sep 15 2010. Lustig was ultimately responsible for developing a distinctive style of dust jacket that served. According to lustig cohen, the exhibition marks the first time that their work has been shown side by side. Magazines, interiors, book jackets, packaging, fabrics, hotels, mall signage, the opening credits of the cartoon mr. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of. Lustig used the book cover as a vehicle of his bold graphic experimentation that was enhanced by a lifelong collaboration with james laughlin, founder and publisher of new directions books. It collects more than 500 coversof paperback and hardcover books, magazines, and catalogsby alvin, who died in 1955, and elaine, who carried on her husbands practice and quickly became an equally accomplished designer. Through collecting, preserving, and providing access to our collections, the archives inspires new ways of interpreting the visual arts in america and allows current and future generations to piece together the nations rich artistic and cultural heritage. Alvin lustigs contributions to the design of books and book jackets.
His method was to read a text and get the feel of the authors creative drive, then to restate it in his own graphic terms. The opportunity to design this series of book jackets was an unusual one. Magooeven a helicopteralvin lustig designed all of them. Cover by alvin lustig alvin lustig was an innovative pioneer in developing american graphic design during the and lustigs early work in the late reflects his training with frank lloyd wright. Jason gabbert 1 the book jacktes of alvin lustig by james laughlin, new directions print magazine, octnov 1956 2 born modern by steven heller eye magazine 1993, vol. Exiles by james joyce cover design by alvin lustig 1945. The alvin lustig archive includes over 400 designs from this important modern american design pioneer. Alvin lustig s contributions to the design of books and book jackets, magazines, interiors, and textiles as well as his teachings would have made him a credible candidate for the aiga lifetime achievement award when he was alive. After the time of world war ii, new directions developed a close relationship with the artist alvin lustig, who designed modernist abstract book jackets. Bookjackets by alvin lustig for new directions books, 1947. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and well researched representation of lustigs book cover designs that were created primarily.
He illustrated the book covers of eminent literary figures, for instance, james joyce, ezra pound, william carlos williams and gertrude stein. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig 0 graphic design archi here is a colorful and wellresearched representation of alvin lustigs book cover designs that were created primarily for new directions books and noonday press, among others. Alvin lustigs restless curiosity during his short life was employed across many areas of art and design. If you would like to look deeper into his life and work, visit the alvin lustig archive, dedicated to him. Purity of aim the book jacket designs of alvin lustig 0. Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer about alvin. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for exiles by james joyce. Amazing illustrative and colorful book covers by one of our favorite designers. And he did it all before dying at the young age of 40. Alvin lustig was an american book designer, graphic designer and typeface designer. Alvin lustig believed that painting was dead and that design would emerge as a primary art form. Lustig was a modernist designer who partook in nearly all disciplines of design we, of course, focus on the book jackets. Some of the works that feature lustigs artwork include, orpheus descending, cat on a hot tin roof.
His dust jackets were minimal distillations of the spirit of a book s contents, with. Each of his allencompassing book covers had a life and character of its own, focusing on more than just one general image. James laughlin in the book jackets of alvin lustig had this to say about lustig. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book jacket and graphic design. With his first book for new directions, alvin lustig began a partnership that would revolutionize the art of book cover design. By the time he died at the age of forty in 1955, he had already introduced principles of continue reading. His method was to read a text and get the feel of the authors creative drive, then to restate it in his own graphic terms, the book jackets of alvin lustig, print, vol. Book cover, bookjacket by alvin lustig for exiles by james joyce, new directions books, 1947. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book cover, book jacket. New directions publishing published several of tennessee williams plays and lustig was the one who designed the book jackets for the first edition of williams work. He always felt the title graphic designer was too limiting, and its clear why.
His dust jackets were minimal distillations of the spirit of a books contents, with. Rarely is the graphic designer given the chance to act upon what he considers his highest level upon a problem of serious intentions. Alvin lustig book cover design, vintage book covers. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and wellresearched representation of lustigs book cover designs that were created primarily. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. I discovered lustigs work as a teenager in the early 1990s. His book jackets for new directions spoke to me in the way intriguing album artwork did. In his poetic book covers of the 1940s, he remade the visual.
Alvin lustig, modern american design pioneer books. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. The golden age of the illustrated book dust jacket. Elaine lustig cohen, wife of alvin lustig, is a book and jacket designer and artist. Included are books, architecture, interiors, ads, identity and print.
Alvin lustig papers, 19351955 archives of american art. The book jacket designs of alvin lustig is a colorful and wellresearched representation of lustig s book cover designs that were created primarily for new directions books and noonday press, among others. From the book jackets of alvin lustig by james laughlin, print magazine, octnov 1956 the first jacket which lustig did for a new directions book the one for the 1941 edition of henry millers wisdom of the heart was quite unlike anything then in vogue, but it scarcely hinted at the extraordinary flowering which was to follow. See more ideas about alvin lustig, book design and book cover design. Included are books, architecture, interiors, ads, identity.