In this age of growing conservatism and a return to boring, star-powered ad campaigns, it all boils down to this: would you rather hang a poster of a big, grinning, airbrushed-and-photoshopped talking head in your living room, or a piece of lacerated letters and raw art?
WHO DID THE WORK?
For the first fifty years of American cinema, posters were comprised of either paintings or photos of favourite stars to lure audiences into darkened auditoriums. And that's the way it would most likely be today if it werent for one man; Saul Bass, who died on Aril 25th 1996 at the age of 75.
WHAT ARE THE THEMES OF THE WORK?
Designer Bass broke the traditional techniques of advertising in the mid 50's with his savage, jaggered print objects and use of broken type. Bass redefined film's visual language, and in the process, I think, liberated generations of designers.
"Symbolise and summarise" were the words Bass lived by, which can be seen throuhg it careful choice of single images.
WHO WAS THE WORK FOR?
Bass was best known for his work with directors Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger and Stanley Kubrick. His most oinspiring work to me, was the foreboding poster and titles to "The Man With The Golden Arm" because he set aside images of lead Frank Sinatra, and instead grabbed audiences with a simple silohette of a twisted arm.
