Paula Scher: Big! Bold!

PAULA SCHERBIG!BOLD!

PAULA SCHER

BIG! BOLD!THE PUBLIC THEATER

POSTER&IDENTITY DESIGNS

PAULA SCHER: BIG! BOLD!

BIG! BOLD!

POSTERIDENTITY DESIGNS

THE BEGINNING

Paula Scher started working for Pentagram in 1991. During this time she was approached by George C. Wolfe who upon request asked Paula to update the identity of The Public Theater which remained relatively under the radar in the community. The identity for the Public Theater grew out of the first poster made by Scher promoting the Shakespeare Festival in summer of 1994. Wolfe contacted Scher and asked if she could create a poster that was “loud and in-your-face.”

2

Scher decided to abbreviate the titles of the two shows, Kiss Me, Kate, and The Merry Wives. By drawing attention to the bold lettering of Wives and Kate, the viewer is able to scan the poster quickly and absorb information while their attention is still held by the intricacies of the typography. Using this format, words could be replaced for a quick change depending on the different shows. Using this style Scher created a set of images using bold woodblock type, making texture from blocks of text.

KISS ME, KATE & THE MERRY WIVES OF WINSORThe Public TheaterPaula Scher


BRING IN ‘DA NOISEThe Public TheaterPaula Scher

3

As seen in the Bring in ‘Da Noise Posters, Scher uses imagery as the basis of the gridded type on the posters. By using the show itself as inspiration for the movement and lyrical feeling, this type style became highly influential. Scher says in her book, Make It Bigger, “I soon began to notice the Public’s typographic style everywhere, from magazines like New York and the New York Times magazine, Fashion of the Times to the advertising for the other Broadway shows...”

Scher incorporated images of the actors starring in the shows. By integrating the typeto form around the image the image itself acted as a catalyst for the movement through the poster. Scher focused on using bold colors that would grab attention fast and hold it.

4






Be culturally literate,because if you don’t have any understanding of the world you live in andthe culture you live in,you’re not going to express anything to anybody else.

Paula Scher

6


Scher worked on the identity of the theater itself. While working out designs, Scher found that it was only natural to make the emphasis on the word public. The elements of the logo were the words The Public Theater,its location and two “tokens” as Wolfe described to Scher. The tokens were round stamp like images that visually identified with the theater. At first Scher created “safer” designs which would appeal to the public at large in a typical theater style. However, the design that Wolfe was most drawn to was a bold lettering inspired by different typographic weights. This design features the grid like structure that is clearly seen in the posters Scher created for the plays.

Obviously the posters that followed were in-spired by this first step in the re-invention of the theater’s identity. The choice to use this logo

was risky, but ended up paying off. The logo was used on tickets, T-shirts, programs, flyers, and even its website. Ultimately the volume of designs that needed to be produced outweighed the amount of staff at Pentagram and Scherhired an outside designer to handle the affairs at The Public The-ater to work full time in her place. Scher would continue to work with Wolfe on individual posters for the upcoming shows.

THE PUBLIC THEATER LOGOThe Public TheaterPaula Scher

THE DIVA IS DISMISSEDExample of logo use along right edgePaula Scher

IDENTITY

Scher and Wolfe agreed that the extreme style of Bring in ‘Da Noise had become far too recognizable for it to be effective any longer. Where as Scher had changed the theater poster scene permanently she also changed the typographic scene for so much more. Magazines, and other posters adapted this style and for this reason, the

“new-ness” of the type was lost. Scher took this as an opportunity to go in a completely different direction. Scher changed the direction of the design 180 degrees and focused on the photography withinthe posters.

The posters themselves became huge images that were romanticized and subtle. As Paula describes them, they became,

“anti-typographic.” Elements of the gridded structure managed to find their way into the design slightly. The Public Theater’s logo was included in most posters and this type usually interacted with the title of the show. By the end of this era the bold typographic style had managed to wiggle its way back into Scher’s designs even if it was only a hint of the gridded bold style in which the theater started.

THE PUBLIC THEATER PERICLESThe Public TheaterPaula Scher

THE PUBLIC THEATER HAMLETThe Public TheaterPaula Scher


EXTREME CHANGE

THE PUBLIC THEATER DALIThe Public TheaterPaula Scher

THE PUBLIC THEATER DOGEATERSThe Public TheaterPaula Scher

8

Typefaces that were used are: LETTER GOTHIC, HELVETICA, & HELVETICA NEUE.

These typefaces were used in order to mimic manyof the stylistic qualities of Scher’s typographic posters. Sabrina Volante designed and wrote this book to heavily mimic the different styles that the Public Theater posters and Scher’s identity de-signs went through before they became what they are today.

A special thanks to lab 304 printer for its persistence anddedication to printing this book.

Bibliography:Scher, Paula. Make it bigger . New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2002.

Documents

Paula Scher: Big! Bold!