SeymourhwastC

Part design and illustration studio, part pop culture think tank, Push Pin Studios made a phenomenal impact on visual culture from the 1950s to the 1980s, representing an important chapter in postwar graphic design. Founding member Seymour Chwast partners with key figures from the design community as well as co-founder Milton Glaser to provide a visual history of the studio by way of its signature publication, The Push Pin Graphic. Hundreds of memorable covers and spreads culled from each of the eighty-six inspired and imaginative issues confirms Push Pins vital role in setting the design curve and influencing the direction of modern visual style. The Push Pin Graphic is the first comprehensive account of a design milestone that continues to influence designers to this day.

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Seymour Chwast with other friends and founders of Push Pin studios ,1954

Born in 1931 in The Bronx, New York, Chwast began drawing in earnest at the age of seven, and soon attended WPA-sponsored art classes. He became profoundly aware of the difference between museum and street art and seemed to instinctively prefer the allure of billboards and advertisements to Picassos and Mondrians. Influenced by Walt Disney, the Sunday funnies and serial movies, he gave life to his own cartoon heroes, including Jim Lightning and Lucky Day. His family moved to Coney Island, where he was enrolled in Abraham Lincoln High School. On the outside this was an ordinary New York City public school, but inside it was a hotbed of graphic design education.

Chwasts work is widely recognized on posters, in books for children and adults, magazines and advertisements. His strength is not in rendering, like so many of the sentimentalists before him, but in concept and design. A beguiling sense of humor underpins his illustration, and a keen understanding of traditional design governs his method. Chwast and his Push Pin colleagues helped reintroduce the long divorced principles of illustration and design. Moreover, he helped formulate a new graphic lexicon based on knowledge, appreciation and reapplication of past styles and formsone that has had long term effects on graphic design.

www.aiga.org

In1954, Milton Glaser, along with Reyonld Ruffins, Seymour Chwast, and Edward Sorel, founded Pushpin Studios. For twenty years Glaser, together with Seymour Chwast, directed the organization, which exerted a powerful influence on the direction of world graphic design, culminating in a memorable exhibition at the Louvres Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris. Push Pin was on the cutting edge of popular art. The studios approach was consistent with other changes in the culture, and often served to visually represent them. This was manifest in the highly visible, mass media jobs, including book jackets, record covers, posters, advertisements and magazine covers. Despite this intense visibility, Push Pin was more influential than it was wealthy. Unlike large corporate design firms servicing ongoing and lucrative identity programs, Push Pin was working on an assignment-to-assignment basis. One reason was that the diverse nature of their collective work was anathema to accepted rules of corporate image.

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Push pin logo,1954

The historic exhibition at the Louvres Muse des Arts Decorativs in 1970 underscored the institutionalization of Push Pin. It was the first time an American design studio was honored in this way. Critics applauded Push Pin for its non-conformity, and voiced surprise that such work would be supported by a capitalist system. The show traveled throughout Europe and to Brazil and codified the notion of a Push Pin Style, which was not a definable style so much as a spirit based on humor, play and surprise. In the light of this attention the studio was more visible to the world than was Chwast as an individual. Though this may have caused him some concern, the studios accomplishments were a greater source of pride. Push Pin offered, and continues to offer, variety, challenge and growth. Despite his solitary nature, Chwast thrived on collaboration. Yet it is very easy to pick out his contributions to the studio work of the Sixties and early Seventies, such as his outstanding series of Dostoyevsky paperback covers. Chwasts approachregardless of mediawas always humorous and aggressive without being crass. His virtuosity has always been demonstrated in

his ability to master both elegance and pop.

In 1975 Glaser left Push Pin, ending their 20-year collaboration. Chwast, however, felt that he hadnt exhausted his need for, or interest in, the studio. He continued as Push Pins director with Phyllis Flood in charge of managing and marketing the studio. Together they formed a company to develop and market a line of candies called Pushpinoff. Keeping with the Push Pins tradition, Chwast hired talented designers, many of whom regarded Push Pin Graphic as a magazine, and published it on a regular basis for five years. Thematic issues, including Mothers, the Condensed History of the World, Crime and Food, New Jersey, and Chicken, served as an outlet for Chwasts creative obsessions as well as being a showcase for other members of the studio. Chwast also began something of a poster renaissance through his assignments from Forbes Magazine and Mobil. During this time Push Pin Press was founded as a means to package books that appealed to Chwasts playfulness.

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Push Pin in 70s

Though this may have caused Chwast some concern, the studios accomplishments were a greater source of pride. Push Pin offered, and continues to offer, variety, challenge and growth. Despite his solitary nature, Chwast thrived on collaboration. Yet it is very easy to pick out his contributions to the studio work of the Sixties and early Seventies, such as his outstanding series of Dostoyevsky paperback covers. Chwasts approach regardless of media was always humorous and aggressive without being crass. Critics applauded Push Pin for its non-conformity, and voiced surprise that such work would be supported by a capitalist system. The show traveled throughout Europe and to Brazil and codified the notion of a Push Pin Style, which was not a definable style so much as a spirit based on humor, play and surprise. In the light of this attention the studio was more visible to the world than was Chwast as an individual.

www.historygraphicdesign.com

1974 War is madness,1969 1969

Seymour made more of a contribution to type and ty-pography than one might guess. Not only did much of his art include hand lettering, he always imbued a strong sense of typography into his layouts which incorporated set type. Much of his lettering done as a lark was picked up and replicated by designers as gospel.

These fonts were made by Seymour Chwast. He is a famous Illustrator know for his abstract cartoony illustrations. His art is inspired by art nouveau, and art deco. These styles are definitely incorporated into these fonts. These types are very fun and cartoony. Most of these fonts where made for some of his designs.

Fonts

Push Pin Posters

1968 1970 1971

1975

Time spent with cats is never wasted

Once you kill the cow, you gotta make A BURGER

I have forced myself to contradict myself in or-der to avoid confirming to my own taste

Reason is the the devils harlot

Art is either plagiarism or revolution

Behind each beautiful wild fur there is an ugly story, It is a brutal,bloody and barbaric story.

Seymour Chwasts art propelled a revolution in American illustration during the early 1960s from sentimental realism to comic expressionism. His work for maga-zines, posters, advertisements, and childrens books influenced at least two generations of illustrators and designers in America and abroad to explore a broad range of stylistic and conceptual methods, as well as wed illustration and design. In addition to his unique styles and innovative techniques, Seymour Chwast contributed a delightfully absurdist sense of wit and humor to twentieth century applied art. Although rooted in the decorative traditions of the nascent years of commercial art - notably Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Art Dco - his work is not a synthesis of the past and present, but an invention of the most original kind

ILLUSTRATION

THE LEFT HANDED DESIGNER