Modernist aesthetics in architecture, art, and product design are
familiar to many. In soaring glass structures or minimalist canvases, we
recognize a time of vast technological advance which affirmed the power
of human beings to reshape their environment and to break, radically,
from the conventions or constraints of the past. Less well-known, but no
less fascinating, is the distillation of modernism in graphic design.
This unprecedented TASCHEN publication, authored by Jens Müller, brings
together approximately 6,000 trademarks, focused on the period
1940-1980, to examine how modernist attitudes and imperatives gave birth
to corporate identity. Ranging from media outfits to retail giants,
airlines to art galleries, the sweeping survey is organized into three
design-orientated chapters: Geometric, Effect, and Typographic. Each
chapter is then sub-divided into form and style led sections such as
alphabet, overlay, dots and squares.
Alongside the comprehensive catalog, the book features an introduction
from Jens Müller on the history of logos, and an essay by R. Roger
Remington on modernism and graphic design. Eight designer profiles and
eight instructive case studies are also included, with a detailed look
at the life and work of such luminaries as Paul Rand, Yusaku Kamekura,
and Anton Stankowski, and at such significant projects as Fiat, The
Daiei Inc., and the Mexico Olympic Games of 1968. An unrivaled resource
for graphic designers, advertisers, and branding specialists, Logo
Modernism is equally fascinating to anyone interested in social,
cultural, and corporate history, and in the sheer persuasive power of
image and form.
