Product Description
Since its first publication in 1969, Pioneers of Modern Typography has been the standard guide to the avant-garde origins of modern graphic design and typography. In this essential reference, Herbert Spencer shows how new concepts in graphic design in the early decades of the twentieth century had their roots in the artistic movements of the time in painting, poetry, and architecture. Spencer examines the “heroic” period of modern design and typography, the beginnin… More >>
Pioneers of Modern Typography, Revised Edition
Tags: artistic movements, decades, Edition, graphic design, herbert spencer, Modern, origins, painting, Pioneers, Revised, roots, twentieth century, Typography
Picked up this book used just because it contained so many interesting examples of European graphic design from the first half of the 20th century. I wasn’t disappointed by the text. Spencer paints a good picture of who influenced whom, who was meeting with whom, where, and when. What struck me was how seriously these individuals took typography and design. They thought they could fundamentally change society, change governments. I guess governments thought so too, as some were imprisoned by the Nazis and one, H.M. Werkman, was executed.
Rating: 5 / 5
This book was one of the first windows for me into the world of modernism, especially in a typographically and visual graphic sense; it still has a huge impact on me. It documents the typographical works of many great minds who in many cases are more well known for their painting and sculpture, such as Werkman and van Doesburg, as well as demonstrating the material of the likes of Tschischold, Lissitzky and Schuitema.
Perfectly concise, it provides a very valuable and illuminating glimpse into the foundations of typographical Modernism, touching on Dada, Futurism, Constructivism and many other major movements which together contributed to forging a definite Modernist style and philosophy. Despite not being an exhaustive account of these movements, Spencer selects the most relevant information to provide a very solid basis of knowledge in one of the most important movements in graphic design, and it is still one of the books i turn to most for inspiration.
Rating: 5 / 5