Josef Müller-Brockmann

Book excerpt: In the ever-evolving world of contemporary graphic design those who came before are often forgotten in the search of the next big thing. It is surprising then that many new, fashionable designs intentionally conjure work that was created by designers of an earlier era - designers who worked not with a computer but with pen and paper - designers like Josef Müller-Brockmann.#13;#13;One of the twentieth century's most important graphic designers, the Swiss-born Müller-Brockmann is the father of functional, objective design and an influential figure for generations of designers around the world. While many of his contemporaries moved to the United States and elsewhere in Europe, Müller-Brockmann based himself in Zurich and established his reputation there. He adapted his approach to a changing world, moving from an early illustrative style to a modern constructivist approach, making full use of geometrical form and the grid system to provide an underlying structure to graphic work.#13;#13;Müller-Brockmann is perhaps most known for his large array of music posters, produced from the early 1950s to the early 1970s, which graphically represent the musical character of each specific performance. In addition to these iconic designs, Müller-Brockmann completed a number of books on graphic design and its history, including the influential *The Graphic Designer and his Design Problems*.#13;#13;This volume is the most definitive monograph to be published on Josef Müller-Brockmann. It traces Müller-Brockmann's life from his childhood through his early training, rarely seen designs for the theater, famous posters for the Zurich art scene, corporate design work for clients like IBM, and, finally, his efforts to educate young designers. With assistance from the Museum für Gestaltung, Zurich and the Josef Müller-Brockmann Archive, this book is extensively illustrated with completed works, period photography, rare sketches, concept drawings, and personal photos.