~BOB GILL, MASSIMO VIGNELLI/DESIGN GIANTS/SAGMEISTER OPENING
from left: MASSIMO VIGNELLI, his wife LELLA, and BOB GILL – at the STEFAN SAGMEISTER – ‘THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE SO FAR’ – OPENING, DEITCH PROJECTS, NYC, JAN 31, 2008
PHOTO: NANCY SMITH
BOB GILL MADE HIS NAME IN LONDON DURING THE SIXTIES – WHEN LONDON – WAS THE HOTTEST PLACE ON The PLANET. IMAGINE THAT – FOR A MOMENT. APPARENTLY – HE IS ONE OF THE, (IF NOT THE), FATHERS OF THE CONCEPT OF ‘THE BIG IDEA’ – OR HOW HE TERMED IT – “PROBLEM SOLVING”. THAT EVERY DESIGN PROJECT CALLS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL and UNIQUE DEFINING IDEA – BEFORE THE START OF THE GRAPHIC DESIGN ELEMENT – “EACH NEW PROBLEM SUGGESTS A NEW SOLUTION.”
one of his most famous images – would be the movie poster for “The Go-Between” with Julie Christie and Allan Bates, on the right:
image courtesy: THE ART DIRECTOR’S CLUB/1991 HALL OF FAME ARCHIVE
in fact – this essay, from which the images were taken – in the ART DIRECTOR’S CLUB – 1991 HALL OF FAME ARCHIVE – is a really interesting read –
check it out: BOB GILL/ART DIRECTOR’S CLUB !!
if you can get into it – the GRAPHIC DESIGN AD WORLD – follow the essay’s hotlinks to ALEXY BRODOVITCH and PAUL RAND, the real old guard, the generation before Bob Gill.
the essay: on PAUL RAND !! – in particular – is most interesting.
PAUL RAND was responsible for these design icons – need we say more.
IMAGES COURTESY/PAUL RAND 1972 HALL OF FAME ARCHIVE/ART DIRECTOR’S CLUB
ABOUT MR. VIGNELLI – HOW’S THIS FOR A BEGINNING INTRODUCTION – HE DESIGNED THE FAMOUS 1972 NYC SUBWAY MAP !!
watch a really interesting clip on: MASSIMO VIGNELLI & THE 1972 NYC SUBWAY MAP, here !!
where there is also a link to: MICHAEL BIERUT’S essay: MR. ViGNELLI’S MAP !!
MASSIMO VIGNELLI’S 1972 NYC SUBWAY MAP/COURTESY: DESIGN OBSERVER
the VIGNELLI 1972 NYC SUBWAY CLIP above, is actually from ‘HELVETICA’ (2007) – the full length documentary by GARY HUSTWIT, which examines the “proliferation of one typeface, Helvetica – which celebrated its 50th birthday in 2007”.
for more, see: ‘HELVETICA’ !!
(STEFAN SAGMEISTER is also interviewed in the film.)
There is a comprehensive essay on MASSIMO VIGNELLI on WIKIPEDIA.
it begins:
“MASSIMO VIGNELLI (born 1931) is a designer who has done work in a number of areas ranging from package design to furniture design to public signage to showroom design through Vignelli Associates, which he co-founded with his wife Lella. He has said, ‘If you can design one thing, you can design everything.’ and this is reflected in the broad range of his work.”
for more see: WIKIPEDIA/MASSIMO VIGNELLI !!