Josef Muller-Brockmann
Author: Kerry William Purcell
Publisher: Phaidon Press Ltd (2 Oct 2006)
Review
This book is a large body of work, created as graphic design gained importance during the twentieth century, serves as a gauge for the study of design history and a acted as a harbinger for what was to come. Illustrated by images of the final designs but also by sketches, production drawings, and unused design drafts from Muller-Brockmann's archive-and with long captions explaining in detail the design structure and the brief given by the client-the monograph give a complete visual understanding of Muller-Brockmann's growth as a graphic designer. It is an essential volume for anyone interested in the history of graphic design, design students, and professional designers.
"...It is a must for anyone wanting to take their understanding of typography and the life of Müller-Brockmann to greater extremes. Good refrences for anyone writing an essay/refrenced manifesto..."
However I found this book disappointing though, both in the editorial and production. There are too many pages devoted to his early life, upbringing, paintings and especially graphic design up to the fifties and Muller-Brockman (when he was thirty-five) considers much of this work mediocre. I think his output really only becomes interesting from the early fifties onwards with a series of stunning concert posters and the sort of work shown in New Graphic Design magazine. Issue seven had a long (thirty-seven pages) article he wrote called 'A Training System for the Graphic Designer' and I would have expected to see more than just the one spread from this article shown on page 149 here. The covers to four of his books are shown but not spreads from inside, the distinctive brochure work for Rosenthal ceramics has too few examples to really convey the beauty of the work he did for them. The concert posters, fortunately displayed large, do look a treat, though here it might have been useful for readers to have seen more than just the one grid Muller-Brockmann created for them.
(It is basically an autobiography of his life, his aims, were he lived, who he married and the lives of his children all based around his work and Müller-Brockmann's ideals learnt through practicing typography. Very well presented and graphically laid out. I dont think it would be a 'sintilating' read for some people, but its sure one of the best 'required reads' ive come across :))
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