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Push Pin Studio was one of the twentieth century's most influential design groups.
It is no exaggeration to say that if the Beatles changed the nature of music,
Push Pin Studio changed the nature of illustration and design. Established in
the 1950s by Seymour Chwast, Milton Glaser and other students from the Cooper
Union School of Art, the group immediately made a name for itself, sparking the
Push Pin phenomenon that swept across the world.
The key word for this exhibition is "paradigm" – a theoretical
framework prescribing the worldview of a certain time. Bringing together roughly
200 carefully selected posters, original artwork, magazines and books, the show
looks at how the four main members of Push Pin Studio were influenced by the
studio itself, and the paths each followed after they went their separate ways.
The core of the exhibit comes from the golden age of New York design, around
the 1960s. As a storm of innovation raged around the world, it was a time when
the concept of modernity and the culture of the establishment were vigorously
questioned. Half a century later, this exhibition offers an opportunity to witness
great design that transcends time. |
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ginza graphic gallery(ggg)
Thursday, 2 September to Tuesday, 28 September 2010
DNP Ginza Bldg., 7-7-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
Tel: 03-3571-5206
11:00 to 19:00 (18:00 on Saturdays) Closed Sundays and holidays.
Free admission.
Time: Thursday, 2 September 2010 from 17:30 to 19:00
Place: Ginza graphic gallery
Time: Thursday, 2 September 2010, 16:00–17:30
Speakers: Paul Davis and Myrna Davis
(Consecutive
interpretation provided.)
Venue: T's Ginza Room 11A, 5-5-14 Ginza Gates 11F, Ginza, Chuo-ku
www.tsrental.jp/location/ginza/map.html
(Seating
for 70. Please contact the gallery to reserve a seat)
* For more information, please contact Tsutsumi at ginza graphic gallery (03-3571-5206).
| About Push Pin Studios |
Myrna Davis |
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Push Pin Studio began in the early 1950’s as a loose collective of a few
Cooper Union graduates who promoted their design and illustration in a jointly
produced series of brochures, “The Push Pin Almanack.” In 1954 The
Push Pin Studios was formed by Glaser, Chwast, and Edward Sorel. In 1957 the
Almanack gave way to the more ambitiously conceived “Push Pin Graphic,” each
issue of which had a different format, size and theme. Published 6 times a year
and in later years was mailed to 8,000 with 3,000 subscribers around the world,
the Graphic showcased the work of the studio’s principal members and awareness
of their work spread quickly.
Push Pin’s distinctive approach was noted for its eclectic sophistication,
finding inspiration in the Italian Renaissance, Art Nouveau and Art Deco, early
American painting, 19th century woodcuts and wood engraving techniques, and Russian
Constructivism, and in forgotten typographic styles of the 19th and early 20th
centuries.
In 1963 Paul Davis left Push Pin to forge an independent career, becoming perhaps
best known for his bold posters for Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare
Festival and Public Theater. His illustrations for publishing and entertainment
became the subject of numerous gallery and museum exhibitions in Europe and Japan.
James McMullan who joined the group not long after, eventually went on to free-lance
as well. His reportorial watercolor illustrations for New York Magazine’s “Saturday
Night Fever” provided insights into disco culture. Besides his work
for magazines, McMullan has created hundreds of posters for Lincoln Center Theater
and other institutions and events, and has illustrated dozens of books.
Milton Glaser co-founded New York magazine and formed his eponymous design firm
in 1972, producing hundreds of cultural posters, designing myriad magazines,
and creating identities and products for restaurants, supermarkets, museums,
publishers and others, including the State of New York, for whom he created the
ubiquitous and much imitated “I ♥ New York” campaign.
Seymour Chwast became principal of The Pushpin Group, Inc., and continued to
publish the Push Pin Graphic until 1981. His unique style melds social commentary
with illustration, and he has created designs for food packaging, illustrations
for magazines and books. Chwast has been referred to as “the left-handed
designer,” which later became the title of a book about his work.
While many decades have passed since its first extraordinary years, Push Pin
Studio remains an enduring legacy for all the artists who participated in the
studio’s “golden age,” and for graphic designers everywhere. |
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| Seymour Chwast |
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| Paul Davis |
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| Milton Glaser |
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| James McMullan |
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