Herbert Bayer

Book excerpt: Herbert Bayer (1900-1985) was one of the most influential graphic designers of the twentieth century, with a prolific career spanning more than six decades and two continents. As a student and teacher at the Bauhaus, he used geometry, photomontage, functional analysis, and simplified typography to forge a new approach to graphic design. This book explores the evolution of Bayer's design process, from his student works featuring hand lettering to mechanically printed typography and hyperreal photo illustrations. The poetic and striking works are drawn from the Merrill C. Berman Collection and the collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, among others. Many have never been published before or appear in color for the first time here.