Paul Rand
Paul Rand
Largely known for his corporate logo designs, Paul Rand was probably one of the most important graphic designers in our time. Having created the “face” for companies such as IBM, UPS and ABC, Paul Rand helped to pave the way for graphic design in general, making it an essential part in the marketing world. Born Peretz Rosenbaum in Brooklyn, New York in august 15th, 1914, Rand began his career as a graphic designer from an early age. He used to paint signs for his father’s grocery shop, as well as for his school. Having been born an Orthodox Jewish, a religion in which the creation of images that could be venerated as idols was prohibited, it is ironic that the creation of companies’ logos for the consumer world played an important part of his career.
Having been influenced by the German Sachplakat, or ornamental poster, his first works consisted on magazine covers. Throughout his careers, Paul Rand studied European movements in design, and was able to incorporate some of their ideas into his own work, while at the same time introducing them to the American public. Between 1938 and 1945, Paul Rand demonstrated his skills at integrating Modernist ideas to the covers of Direction Magazine (book). Such covers were produced free-of-charge, in exchange for total artistic freedom. The well-known December, 1940 Direction magazine cover is a perfect example of the kind of artistic freedom Paul Rand wanted. The cover depicts two strips of barbed wire perpendicular to each other, while red dots, which resemble blood drops, are splattered across the page. When the elements are seen all together, they resemble a wrapped present.
By the age of twenty-three, Paul Rand had already built a reputation, all by himself. From 1954 on, Paul Rand began to concentrate on corporate logos. When asked about the importance of graphic designers to the world in a 1991 interview, Paul Rand explained that the value of a designer to a business is that they are capable of adding
Largely known for his corporate logo designs, Paul Rand was probably one of the most important graphic designers in our time. Having created the “face” for companies such as IBM, UPS and ABC, Paul Rand helped to pave the way for graphic design in general, making it an essential part in the marketing world. Born Peretz Rosenbaum in Brooklyn, New York in august 15th, 1914, Rand began his career as a graphic designer from an early age. He used to paint signs for his father’s grocery shop, as well as for his school. Having been born an Orthodox Jewish, a religion in which the creation of images that could be venerated as idols was prohibited, it is ironic that the creation of companies’ logos for the consumer world played an important part of his career.
Having been influenced by the German Sachplakat, or ornamental poster, his first works consisted on magazine covers. Throughout his careers, Paul Rand studied European movements in design, and was able to incorporate some of their ideas into his own work, while at the same time introducing them to the American public. Between 1938 and 1945, Paul Rand demonstrated his skills at integrating Modernist ideas to the covers of Direction Magazine (book). Such covers were produced free-of-charge, in exchange for total artistic freedom. The well-known December, 1940 Direction magazine cover is a perfect example of the kind of artistic freedom Paul Rand wanted. The cover depicts two strips of barbed wire perpendicular to each other, while red dots, which resemble blood drops, are splattered across the page. When the elements are seen all together, they resemble a wrapped present.
By the age of twenty-three, Paul Rand had already built a reputation, all by himself. From 1954 on, Paul Rand began to concentrate on corporate logos. When asked about the importance of graphic designers to the world in a 1991 interview, Paul Rand explained that the value of a designer to a business is that they are capable of adding
Bibliography: http://www.paul-rand.com/foundation/biography/#.UksiIz_oa2k http://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/28/arts/paul-rand-82-creator-of-sleek-graphic-designs-dies.html http://www.paul-rand.com/foundation/video_miggsInterview_1991/#.UksaoT_oa2k http://www.paul-rand.com/foundation/thoughts_trademarkAsIllustrativeDevice/#.Uks0Sz_oa2k http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/07/17/lessons-from-swiss-style-graphic-design/