OFFSET

S. Neil Fujita
The History behind
The God Father”
Milton Glaser
“All about Design Ethics”
Ubuntu
“African Philosophy”
 I got what you need.

2 O F F S E T
Table of Content
Ubuntu
By Sonal Panse. Pag. 4

Kytoto Design
2008 Declaration Pag 6.

Milton Glaser
Pag. 8

S. Neil Fujita
Pag.10

Celebration of Integrity & Design

Pag. 14

Integrity and Invention

By Paul Rand
Pag. 16

Artist of the Month

Andy Warhol
Pag. 22

Editor Publisher
Patricia Campos Lorenzo Castillo

Deputy Editor Associate Publisher

Claudia Torre ELizabeth Castillo

Editorial Director, TheAtlantic.com Associate Integrated Marketing

Bob Cohn Andreina Castillo

Deputy Managing Editor Digital Advertising Manager

Isabel Astorga Ana Montes de Oca

Art Director Integrated Advertising Sales

Guiliana Sanchez Pedro Juarez

Senior Editors
Kyara Castillo
Javier Motta

O F F S E T 3
 UBUNTU By Sonal Panse

African Philosophy:

Ubuntu, a Bantu word, defines what it means to be truly

human. We affirm our humanity when we acknowledge
that of others.

Yesterday, I saw a photograph on Yahoo News of

young Israeli girls writing messages on war missiles. I
assume, given that these same missiles were intended
for Lebanon, that the messages weren’t of peace and
prosperity for the Lebanese. But I wonder if these girls
completely understood the implications of the missiles
– that, when launched, they will, in all likelihood, kill or
maim other little girls, who just happen to be Lebanese.
Empathy seems to be in pretty short order these days, so
probably it won’t even matter to them. Equally appalling is
that these sentiments are perhaps as, if not more, rabidly
reflected in the opposite camp. Spreading hate as adults
is vile enough, but to teach it to your own children is
unforgivable.

Perhaps half the troubles in this world would be over if

parents gave up saying, I don’t want you to talk, play or
associate in any way with them, I won’t allow you to get to
know them, I don’t want you to like them, because, get
this straight, they are not like us - they are gooks or kikes
or hajis or huns or niggers and so on – everything except
people like us. The emphasis being on ‘Not like us and
therefore a whole lot less worthy of inhabiting this planet
than we are.’

“
Perhaps the world would be a more peaceful place if
more emphasis was placed instead on teaching respect,
decency, and tolerance, on teaching Ubuntu. “
A person with Ubuntu is welcoming, hospitable,
warm and generous, willing to share.

4 O F F S E T
What is Ubuntu? Social Aspect of Ubuntu:

The word ‘Ubuntu’ originates from one of the Bantu Still, as they say, the good points outweigh the
dialects of Africa, and is pronounced as uu-Boon-too. shortcomings.

It is a traditional African philosophy that offers us an Given the vast racial, cultural, religious, educational,
understanding of ourselves in relation with the world. and socio-economic differences apparent not just in
According to Ubuntu, there exists a common bond South-African society but the world over currently, the
between us all and it is through this bond, through concept of Ubuntu is really rather relevant. It is far too
our interaction with our fellow human beings, that easy to go into the ‘us and them’ mode. It is far too
we discover our own human qualities. Or as the easy to fall into the trap of judging a different people
Zulus would say, “Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu”, by our standards or by sticking to certain established
which means that a person is a person through stereotypical notions. If you instead regard someone
other persons. We affirm our humanity when we as a fellow human being, all individual quirks and
acknowledge that of others. differences taken into account, there is perhaps a
greater chance of achieving understanding.
The South African Nobel Laureate Archbishop
Desmond Tutu describes Ubuntu as: And, achieving understanding is important and
necessary, because, like it or not, we are all
“It is the essence of being human. It speaks of the interconnected. What hurts you could one day come
fact that my humanity is caught up and is inextricably around and hurt me. What benefits me, if I’m not too
bound up in yours. I am human because I belong. selfish about it, could make a crucial difference in your
It speaks about wholeness, it speaks about life. And knowing you could bring a world of meaning
compassion. A person with Ubuntu is welcoming, and interest in mine.
hospitable, warm and generous, willing to share.
Such people are open and available to others,
willing to be vulnerable, affirming of others, do not
feel threatened that others are able and good, for
they have a proper self-assurance that comes from
knowing that they belong in a greater whole. They
know that they are diminished when others are
humiliated, diminished when others are oppressed,
diminished when others are treated as if they were
less than who they are.
The quality of Ubuntu gives people resilience, enabling
them to survive and emerge still human despite all
efforts to dehumanize them.”

Religious Aspect of Ubuntu:

For many Africans, while they may belong to different

societies and have different traditions and rituals,
Ubuntu usually has a strong religious meaning. In
general, the African belief is that your ancestors
continue to exist amongst the living in the form of
spirits and they are your link to the Divine Spirit. If you
are in distress or need, you approach your ancestors’
spirits and it is they who will intercede on your behalf
with God. Therefore it is important to not only venerate
your ancestors, but to, eventually, yourself become
an ancestor worthy of veneration. For this, you agree
to respect your community’s rules, you undergo
initiation to establish formal ties with both the current
community members and those that have passed on,
and you ensure harmony by adhering to the Ubuntu
principles in the course of your life.

O F F S E T 5
 Declaration
Kyoto
2008

AIGA endorses the principles of designers’ global

responsibility for building sustainable, human- An era of human-centered
centered, creative societies documented in the Kyoto development
Design Declaration, a statement of commitment A paradigm shift from technology-driven development
by the members of Cumulus, the International to human-centered development is under way.
Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design The focus is shifting from materialistic and visible
and Media.. values to those, which are mental, intellectual and,
The Kyoto Design Declaration states the following: possibly, less material. An era of “cultural productivity”
has commenced, where the importance attributed
Proposing new values and new to modes of life, values and symbols may be
ways of thinking greater than that attributed to physical products.
All the people of the world now live in global and Design thinking stands steadfastly at the center of
interdependent systems for living. We continue this continuum. Simultaneously, this development
to enhance the quality of our lives by creating highlights the importance of cultural traditions and the
environments, products and services utilizing design. need to extend and revitalize them.
Design is a means of creating social, cultural, The imperative for designers to
industrial and economic values by merging assume new roles
humanities, science, technology and the arts. Global development, and an awareness of the
It is a human-centered process of innovation that growth of related ecological and social problems are
contributes to our development by proposing posing new demands and offering new opportunities
new values, new ways of thinking, of living and for design, design education and design research.
adapting to change. Design is challenged to redefine itself and designers
must assume new roles and commit themselves to
developing solutions leading to a sustainable future. 

6 O F F S E T
“
From education to global

All the people of the world now

live in global and interdependent
“ responsibility
In order to fulfill its declared mission to contribute
to sustainable social, environmental, cultural and
economic development for current and future
generations and to contribute to an environment
systems for living. and culture that makes harmonious and healthy
life possible, the Cumulus members make this
declaration. Members will commit themselves
to accepting their part in the further education of
our youth within a value system where each of
us recognizes our global responsibility to build
sustainable, human-centered, creative societies.
Seeking collaboration in The power to make fundamental
forwarding the ideals of improvements to our world
sustainable development Human-centered design thinking, when rooted in
The members of Cumulus, representing a global universal and sustainable principles, has the power
community of design educators and researchers, to fundamentally improve our world. It can deliver
undertake the initiative, outlined in this, the Kyoto economic, ecological, social and cultural benefits to all
Design Declaration, to commit themselves to the people, improve our quality of life and create optimism
ideals of sustainable development. Furthermore, about the future and individual and shared happiness.
the members of Cumulus have agreed to seek Implementation
collaboration with educational and cultural institutions, The signatories of this Declaration agree to submit
companies, governments and government agencies, annually a Sustainability Report to Cumulus Secretariat
design and other professional associations and NGOs informing of the actions they have taken to implement
to promote the ideals of, and share their knowledge this Declaration. The reports will be published on the
about, sustainable development. Cumulus website and through this they are available
to all interested parties.

“ This protocol was written by Yrjö Sotamaa, rector of the

University of Art and Design Helsinki TAIK since 1986,
and founder and past president of Cumulus.
“
O F F S E T 7
 Milton Glaser on
D
esign Less Better recently had embarrassed and feel awkward and inauthentic
the opportunity to talk to one of when the work I do ends up hurting people
our favorite designers. in any way.
Milton Glaser, about our favorite
topic, design ethics. I can’t talk about individual cases of course,
Design Less Better was very grateful for the although I’m constantly turning down work that I
opportunity to sit down with Milton Glaser think is harmful. But so much is harmful that it’s
recently and talk about his views on design easy to leave yourself without a basis for your
ethics. This interview was originally posted over economic life, and that, of course, is the conflict
the course of three days. You are currently that everybody faces. Everything is a matter of
reading the second of three. degrees and not absolutes. I will say that as a
general principle, I attempt to be truthful and not
DLB: Truth-telling and hypocrisy are obviously do harm. How that works on individual cases is
important to you. In fact, famously, your Road very often a complex story.
to Hell test gives designers a way to establish
their level of discomfort with bending the truth. DLB: In several of your AIGA talks, you
It helps designers figure out what they’re willing have been a very staunch advocate of the
to do for a job. On that note, can you tell us importance of ethical thinking for designers. But,
about a time when you turned down or gave outside of a few isolated instances, there does
up a job for ethical reasons? not seem to be a great deal of professional
concern about this issue. Do you find that
MG: All moral questions are sensitive to the designers seem resistant to talking about
context in which they arise. I can’t recall a ethics, and if so, why do you think that is?
specific idea I gave up, but I will say that it is
a single overriding element in my life to do my MG: Well, I think it’s difficult to talk about ethics.
best to avoid lying to people, misrepresenting In part, it’s difficult because designers are very
things to people, or doing things that I think often pressed into situations where ethical
would have bad consequences. But as considerations are in conflict with financial
you know it is not easy to determine the needs. If you’re earning $300,000 a year and
consequences of any act. As the Buddhists you’ve got two kids in school, leaving BP would
say, “good yields bad, bad yields good”. be a very difficult decision. And everybody in life
— except for saints and maybe those who are
It is not a simplistic series of catchphrases more obsessive than anyone I know — has to
that we want to be concerned with. You compromise in order to balance the elements of
have to take people’s intentions into account. their life, and has to arrive at conclusions which
Experience often shows that things that you don’t hurt them too much ethically, financially,
think will be helpful to someone turn out to be personally and so on.
harmful to them, and things you think will injure
them turn out to strengthen them.

So we cannot diminish the complexity of these

issues nor do we want to make it simplistic.
Buddhists say, “good yields bad,
But I do know that I feel better when I benefit
the people I communicate with and I’m deeply
bad yields good”.

8 O F F S E T
n Design Ethics
It’s very difficult to put yourself in a position where
you’re telling someone else to be more virtuous, to
be better or more ethical or as ethical as you are. I
hate that crap. I hate the kind of ethical baloney that
people talk about in their presentation, and then it
turns out that they don’t live their life that way. And it’s
not something you want to check on in others. All I
can say is that you have to determine in your life when
you’re willing to lie and what you’re willing to lie for. It is
not a question of absolute decisions. Every decision is
relative to everything else that is in your life at the time.
But one of the terrible dangers of ethical discussions
is that they soon shift to posing and then it’s like
listening to politicians on television. Where does all that
preening and posing and posturing come from? The
idea of appearing ethical seems to be something that
is attractive to people but then when you penetrate
the appearance and get to the actual reality of what’s
going on, it turns out frequently to be something very
different. So I hate to put myself in the position, among
others, of saying “I’m an ethical person you should be
more like me” because I recognize that everyone is
compromised in their lives.

“ I feel better when I benefit the people I

communicate with and I’m deeply embarrassed
and feel awkward and inauthentic when the work
I do ends up hurting people in any way.
“

O F F S E T 9
 “ “he introduced graphic design to high
school students, in part through the voices
of women and African-American designers
who were not usually heard in those days”
“
S. NEIL FUJITA 1921–2010

by Steven Heller

S. Neil Fujita, best known for his covers for CBS Sadamitsu Neil Fujita was born on May 16, 1921 in
Records, which introduced abstract art to jazz Kauai, Hawaii. He grew up on a sugar plantation in
packaging, and his book jackets for In Cold Blood Waimea, where his father worked as a blacksmith.
and The Godfather, died on Saturday, October He moved to Los Angeles when he was 17 and
23*. He was 89. studied at Chouinard Art Institute (now CalArts).

His other lasting designs include the Today Show Fujita’s studies were interrupted by World War II,
logo, the Shubert Theaters logo and the graphic during which he was forced into an internment
typeface for Billboard Magazine. Schooled in camp in Wyoming. Like other interned Japanese
painting, Fujita began his career as a graphic Americans, he volunteered for service in the all-
designer in Philadelphia at N. W. Ayer, then moved Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team, serving
to New York and became the head of the art in Italy and France. He also served with G-2
department for Columbia Records. intelligence as a translator in the Pacific.

At Columbia he designed album covers with In the mid-1990s he returned to painting, creating
commissioned artwork by Ben Shahn, Andy portraits of the people around Southold, Long
Warhol and Roy DeCarava. His bold typography Island, where he lived until his death. This project
was modernist in tone, yet not dogmatically linked eventually became “Seeing Is Feeling: American
to the Swiss or another current school. Faces in the North Fork,” which was exhibited at
His own abstract paintings covered Dave the Floyd Memorial Library in Greenport in 1999.
Brubeck’s Time Out and A solo show of recent paintings was held in late
2009 at the Sirens’ Song gallery in Greenport.
Charles Mingus’s Mingus Ah Um. During his last years he also completed a memoir,
Mouth of Reddish Water (Ruder Finn Press).
Following a three year stint at Columbia, he
launched his own design firm, Ruder, Finn and In 2007 I interviewed Fujita for AIGA’s Voice journal,
Fujita, with clients that included the FAA, Norton to put his voice on the design historical record. By
Simon, General Mills and General Foods. In 1968 way of commemoration, here are excerpts from
he wrote Aim for a Job in Graphic Design/Art that original interview.
(Richards Rosen Press), a fount of professional
intelligence for an emerging field. It is a slice of lost
graphic design history if only for the fact that he “ I wanted to learn how
introduced graphic design to high school students,
in part through the voices of women and African- records were made,
American designers who were not usually heard in
those days.
the whole process.”

10 O F F S E T
 “ “You’re Japanese and you’re going to be
called all sorts of names, from nip to jap and
everything else. Do you still want to do it?”
“
Heller: Neil, I’ve long admired your work. You’ve Heller: After Alex Steinweiss established the Heller: Your work is decidedly modern, so
had a long career, and much of it was involved “idea” of album cover art, you certainly took it to who were your influences? Did you look to the
with the record industry. To start, how did you the next level of “art.” Did you go into Columbia generation before (e.g., Rand), or were the
become a graphic designer? with an aesthetic goal or plan on how to make “monumental” modernist painters your guide?
this genre modern?
Fujita: I went to an art school in Los Angeles, Fujita: When I was going to art school I liked
Chouinard. I had studied painting, design, Fujita: When I got to Columbia there was the the work of Paul Rand, but also Tomayo, Klee,
illustration, color theory, all the phases of art, but beginning of some idea of album cover art Picasso, Braque.
I concentrated on drawing and painting—the but it was still just type and maybe a photo
basics. While I was still in school I got married, of the artist and some shapes arranged in an Heller: You left Columbia in 1957. Why?
then after I graduated my wife and I moved to interesting way. That was the first concept of Steinweiss once told me that he just couldn’t
New York. I wanted to look for a job in graphic album cover art. Actually the first examples keep up with the changes in the industry. Did
art because I knew that I had to make a living of album art that I can remember were on you feel rock and roll changed the ground rules
and that painting wasn’t going to do it. children’s records, because they might have of design?
included a painting or something else to
After spending a couple of months in New York illustrate the idea. But I think that I was the first Fujita: I left in ’57 because I wanted to be
I met Bill Golden, the art director of CBS. He to use painters, photographers and illustrators something other than just a record designer,
looked at my portfolio and he asked me, “Neil, to do artwork on album covers. As for the and that’s what I told Goddard Lieberson.
what do you want to do? “ I said that I didn’t second part of the question, no, in fact I didn’t I said that if I could sing or play the piano or
know yet but that I was looking for a job at N.W. go right into designing jackets. In fact when any instrument I might consider staying but
I got to Columbia I actually spent the first I couldn’t do any of those things, so I left to
Ayer because one of my teachers had put couple of months visiting the record factory in go on my own.
a word in to Charles Coiner. I went down to Connecticut because I wanted to learn how
Philadelphia and Coiner looked at my portfolio records were made, the whole process. The New York designers’ clique at the time
and offered me a job but it wasn’t because spread the rumor that I had been canned, but
of my commercial work, it was because of Heller: Many of your covers were done for that wasn’t true. After leaving I had my own
my paintings! I worked at Ayer for around jazz albums. Was there a difference in your studio with a partner who came with me from
three years, and while I was there I got a approach from jazz to other forms of music? Columbia. I was on my own for less than a year
gold medal from the Art Directors Club when I got a call from Lieberson, wanting me
for designing an ad for the Container Fujita: Jazz called for abstraction, a certain to return. The guy who replaced me wasn’t
Corporation of America. kind of stylization, using modern painters. working out so I went back to Columbia for
Classical was different, we might have used another couple of years but I told them that it
That must have gotten people talking because more photography for those records. I would would just be temporary.
shortly after I left Ayer I got a call from Bill Golden hire a photographer like Dan Weiner and
who says he is recommending me to run the send him to a Glenn Gould recording session This time the New York designers’ clique took
art department at Columbia Records. He said because it was in the sessions that you could a different approach: They spread the rumor
that I would be starting from the ground up by really catch the raw spirit of the performance. that I was responsible for canning the guy that
building an internal graphic design staff. He also I’d look at the contact sheet, and if I saw one replaced me, which again wasn’t true.
said, “Neil, if do this you’ll be taking work and that really clicked with what I knew about the The simple fact is that I just didn’t want to be
income away from the two studios that have musician or conductor I’d say, known as someone that designed record
been working with us for many years, so you’re covers. I wanted to do other things, like learn
going to meet up with a lot of crap. “That’s it!” Leonard Bernstein was going to do a how to write.
jazz recording and I told him, since we’re doing
a jazz album, don’t be afraid to dress casually,
First of all, you’re Japanese and you’re going to even in a T-shirt”. His reply was, “I’m not afraid
be called all sorts of names, from nip to jap and of anything!” It wasn’t modern painting but it
everything else. Do you still want to do it?” was a modern approach.

O F F S E T 11
 “ The simple fact is that I just didn’t want to be known as
someone that designed record covers.
I wanted to do other things, like learn how to write.
“
Heller: You also did your fair share of book covers in the concept of merging graphic design with Fujita: My father was blacksmith. He had his anvil
and jackets. What was it like when you did them? public relations, and Joyce Morrow of AIGA had and hammer. One morning he went to his shop
Did you have to navigate through a lot of marketing recommended me. The idea was to form my own and someone had replaced his anvil and hammer
interference, or did you have a free reign? company that would be a subsidiary of Ruder and with a welder’s torch. I am fortunate to have worked
Finn. That was when I started Ruder, Finn and Fujita. in that period before the computer when we had
Fujita: I didn’t have marketing people making One of the first assignments that I found myself to search for solutions with our own hands. When I
suggestions but I did do a lot of reading. And involved in was working with a group of designers did Updike’s covers the computer as a graphic art
there may have been more direct contact with the in Israel to conceptualize, package and distribute tool was not even in existence. I didn’t just design
authors than there is today (but I’m not sure about Israeli products for export. the type for those book jackets; I drew it with my
that). I liked working with authors because it’s usually quill pen, using India inks and dyes. It’s tough for
the author that sells the book. That’s why I always This was the kind of total synthesis of commerce, designers today that have to use the computer.
wanted to have the author’s name as big as the communication and design that I was really
title. I did Updike’s Pigeon Feathers for Random interested in learning about and developing. I did this About the Author: Steven Heller, co-chair of the
House and I got a call from Bob Scudellari—Updike kind of work for clients like the FAA, Norton Simon, Designer as Author MFA and co-founder of the
had sent him a note that said, “Why don’t you get Bristol-Meyers, General Mills, General Foods, a lot MFA in Design Criticism at School of Visual Arts,
that Japanese designer and try him out again?” I of annual reports. I did this for about 10 years before is the author of Merz to Emigre and Beyond: Avant
did three or four covers for him after that. I showed changing the company to Fujita Design. I kept the Garde Magazine Design of the Twentieth Century
Truman Capote my ideas for In Cold Blood. I same office but I had my own clients. (Phaidon Press), Iron Fists: Branding the Totalitarian
thought of a red hatpin that I stuck into the title of State (Phaidon Press) and most recently Design
the book to suggest death or something like that, Heller: Didn’t you design the logo for the Disasters: Great Designers, Fabulous Failure, and
but he didn’t like the color. “It can’t be red, because Godfather films? Lessons Learned (Allworth Press).
it wasn’t a new death, it didn’t just happen,” so I He is also the co-author of New Vintage Type
changed the color to purple and added a black Fujita: Yes, I did the logo. I designed the book (Thames & Hudson), Becoming a Digital Designer
border to suggest something more funereal. jacket for Putnam in 1969. By taking the G and (John Wiley & Co.),
Capote loved that. extending it to the D, I created a house for god. The
way the word was designed was part of the logo
Heller: Once you started your own studio, did your and so was the type design. So when Paramount
approach change? Pictures does a film version or Random House,
which bought out the book from Putnam, does
Fujita: I wanted to learn more about words—I another Godfather book, I still get a design credit.
wanted to learn how to write, so I went to Columbia In fact before the first Godfather film opened in New
University at night to study English literature and York I saw a huge billboard going up on Times
writing. After I left Columbia Records, I had my Square with my design on it. I actually got them to
own studio across from MoMA. I had a couple of stop work on it until we were able to come to an Teaching Motion Design
big corporate clients, but I was also doing a lot of agreement. (Allworth Press) and more.
work for book publishers. One day I got a call from Heller: How do you feel about the evolution of www.hellerbooks.com
David Finn of Ruder and Finn. He was interested design practice since you started and today?

“ It wasn’t modern painting but it

was a modern approach.
“
12 O F F S E T
O F F S E T 13
 Celebration Of
Vintage &
Retro Design
Retro and vintage designs are often
considered as being outdated, looking old,
unattractive and dull. That’s not true. Although
compared to modern design, retro is mostly a
completely different realm, it has a large variety
of benefits modern graphic designers often
tend to overlook. And that’s a pity. Because
we, as designers, can learn a lot from it.

Nostalgic designs arise feelings, awake

memories and better manage to involve broad
range of readers even although they don’t
really realize it. Furthermore, retro can look
cool and offer readers or visitors something
they haven’t expected at all. So why not try to
impress them with some impressive vintage
art for a change?

Below you’ll find the celebration of retro and

vintage design — ads, illustrations, book

“
covers, pins and posters from 1920-1980s.
The images weren’t necessarily created in the
mid of 20th century.

Vintage is living today which is why this post

also features artists and designers who
make use of the vintage and retro style in
“
Please notice: if after reading this post
you’ll experience some need for buying
ice cream, chewing gum or eating
their works. sausages, it’s not our fault.

14 O F F S E T
O F F S E T 15
 Integrity &
Invention
by Paul Rand

16 O F F S E T
 “ The artist’s sense of
worth depends on his “
feeling of integrity.

Courage and Creativity

Like that of the spawning salmon, the Business has a strong tendency to wait
artist’s life is a never-ending upstream for a few brave pioneers to produce
battle. To function creatively the artist or underwrite original work, then rush
must have the courage to fight for what to climb on the bandwagon. The
he believes. bandwagon, of course, may not even be
going in the right direction. The attention
Courage in the face of a danger that has and admiration evoked by the high calibre
no element of high adventure in it-just the of XYZ’s advertising have induced many
cold, hard possibility of losing his job. Yet an advertiser to say ‘Let’s do something
the courage of his convictions is, along like XYZ’ without considering that it might
with his talent, his only source of strength. not be at all suited to his needs. Specific
Frank Lloyd Wright put it this way: problems require specific visual solutions.

I’ll work as I’ll think as I am 
No thought But both XYZ’s and ABC’s advertising
of fashion or sham 
Nor for fortune the and products can be made to fulfil
jade 
Serve vile Gods of trade 
My thought their functions and also be aesthetically
as beseemeth a man’ gratifying. Both can express respect
The businessman will never respect the for and concern with the broadest
professional who does not believe in what interests of the consumer. Against the
he does. The businessman under these outstanding achievements in design
circumstances can only ‘use’ the artist for by some companies, there stands the
his own ends. And why not, if the artist great Artistic Integrity.
himself has no ends?
In asking the artist to have courage, we
must ask the same of industry.

The impetus to conform, so

widespread today, will, if not checked,
kill all forms of creativity, scientific and
technological included.

17
O F F S E T
 “ Courage in the face of a danger that has no
element of high adventure in it-just the cold, hard
possibility of losing his job
“
Artistic Integrity

There are those who believe that the role the designer There is nothing wrong with selling, even with
must play is fixed and determined by the socio- ‘hard’ selling, but selling which misrepresents,
economic climate; that he must discover his functional condescends, relies on sheer gullibility or stupidity is
niche and fit himself into it. It seems to me that this wrong. Morally, it is very difficult for an artist to do a
ready-made image ignores the part the artist can direct and creative job if dishonest claims are being
play in creating this climate. Whether as advertising made for the product he is asked to advertise, or if,
tycoons, missile builders, public or private citizens, we as an industrial designer, he is supposed to exercise
are all human beings, and to endure we must, first of mere stylistic ingenuity to give an old product a new
all, be for ourselves. appearance. The artist’s sense of worth depends on
his feeling of integrity. If this is destroyed, he will no
It is only when man is not accepted as the centre longer be able to function creatively.
of human concern that it becomes feasible to
create a system of production which values profit Art and Communication
out of proportion to responsible public service, or
to design ads in which the only aesthetic criteria are The lament of the graphic designer that he is not
the use of fashionable illustrations and ‘in’ type faces. permitted to do good work because good work is
The commercial artist (designer) who wants to be neither wanted nor understood by his employers
more than a mere stylist and who wishes to avoid is universal. It is indeed very often true. But if the
being overwhelmed by the demands of clients, the artist honestly evaluates his work he will frequently
idiosyncrasies of public taste, and the ambiguities of find that the ‘good work’ the businessman has
consumer research surveys must become clear as rejected is really not so ‘good’. Many times when
to what his cultural contribution should be. In all these the ‘square’ client says ‘it’s too far out’, he may be
areas he must try to distinguish the real from the unconsciously reacting to inappropriate symbolism,
imaginary, the sincere from the pretentious, and the obscure interpretation of an idea, poor typography,
objective from the biased. an inadequate display of his product, or simply
bad communication. In a new edition of my book
If the commercial artist has both talent and a THOUGHTS ON DESIGN, this problem was alluded
commitment to aesthetic values, he will automatically to as follows:
try to make the product of graphic design both
pleasing and visually stimulating to the user or the Graphic design-
viewer. By stimulating I mean that this work will add
something to the spectator’s experience. Which fulfils aesthetic needs, 
complies with
the laws of form 
and the exigencies of two-
The artist must believe his work is an aesthetic dimensional space; 
which speaks in semiotics,
statement, but he must also understand his general sans-serifs, 
and geometries; 
which abstracts,
role in society. It is this role that justifies his spending transforms, translates, 
rotates, dilates, repeats,
the client’s money and his risking other people’s mirrors, 
groups, and regroups- 
is not good
jobs. And it entitles him to make mistakes. He adds design 
if it is irrelevant.
something to the world. He gives it new ways of
feeling and of thinking. He opens doors to new
experience. He provides new alternatives as solutions
to old problems.

18 O F F S E T
 “ “The roots of each one of them are in
platitude; the roots of every effective
stage play are in platitude.”
“

Graphic design The ‘Corporate Image’

Which evokes the symmetria of Vitruvius, 
the In this, the speed generation, practically any corporation,
dynamic symmetry of Hambidge, 
the asymmetry large or small, can have its ‘image’ made to order.
of Mondrian; 
which is a good gestalt; 
which is A vast army of image makers have made a business out
generated by intuition or by computer, 
by invention or of art large enough almost to rival the businesses they
by a system or coordinates- 
is not good design 
if it help to portray.
does not co-operate 
as an instrument 
in the service Much has been touted about the virtues of corporate
of communication. identification programmes. Because the corporate
image so often conveys the impression that it is all-
Originality and Subject-Matter encompassing, it leaves little doubt in the mind of the
onlooker that the image he sees represents a company
Ideas do not need to be esoteric to be original or exciting. which is really in the swim, that it’s the best, the first, and
As H. L. Mencken says of Shaw’s plays, “The roots of the most. However, being with it is not always being for it.
each one of them are in platitude; the roots of every
effective stage play are in platitude.” And when he asks It seems to me that a company can more easily be
why Shaw is able to ‘kick up such a pother’, he answers, recognized for what it really believes not by its ‘made to
“For the simplest of reasons. Because he practises with order image’ (its trade mark, logotype, letterhead), nor
great zest and skill the fine art of exhibiting the obvious by the number of avant-garde prints or Mies van der
in unexpected and terrifying lights.” From Impressionism Rohe chairs which embellish its offices, but by its more
to Pop, the commonplace and the comic strip have mundane, day-to-day activities: its house organs, counter
become the ingredients for the artist’s cauldron. What displays, trade advertisements, packaging and products.
Cezanne did with apples, Picasso with guitars, Leger with Unless it consistently represents the aims and beliefs as
machines, Schwitters with rubbish, and Duchamp with well as the total production and activities of a company, a
urinals makes it clear that revelation does not depend corporate image is at best mere window dressing, and at
upon grandiose concepts. In 1947 I wrote what I still worst deception.
hold to be true, ‘The problem of the artist is to make the
commonplace uncommonplace. Things can be made and marketed without our
considering their moral or aesthetic aspects; ads can
If artistic quality depended on exalted subject-matter, convince without pleasing or heightening the spectator’s
the commercial artist, as well as the advertising agency visual awareness, products can work regardless of their
and advertiser, would be in a bad way. For years appearance. But should they? The world of business
I have worked with light bulb manufacturers, cigar could function without benefit of art-but should it?
makers, distillers, etc., whose products visually are
not in themselves unusual. A light bulb is almost as I think not, if only for the simple reason that the world
commonplace as an apple, but if I fail to make a package would be a poorer place if it did.
or an advertisement for light bulbs that is lively and original,
it will not be the light bulb that is at fault.

20 O F F S E T
O F F S E T 21
 Artist of the Month

Andy
Warhol
H
e was born in August 6, 1928, was an American
artist who was a leading figure in the visual art
movement known as pop art. His works explore the
relationship between artistic expression, celebrity culture and
advertisement that flourished by the 1960s.

After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, Warhol

became a renowned and sometimes controversial artist. The
Andy Warhol Museum in his native city, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
holds an extensive permanent collection of art and archives. It is
the largest museum in the United States of America dedicated to
a single artist.

Warhol’s art encompassed many forms of media, including hand

drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, silk screening,
sculpture, film, and music. He was also a pioneer in computer-
generated art using Amiga computers that were introduced
in 1984, two years before his death. He founded Interview
Magazine and was the author of numerous books, including The
Philosophy of Andy Warhol and Popism: The Warhol Sixties. He
is also notable as a gay man who lived openly as such before the
gay liberation movement. His studio, The Factory, was a famous
gathering place that brought together distinguished intellectuals,
drag queens, playwrights, Bohemian street people, Hollywood
celebrities, and wealthy patrons.

Warhol has been the subject of numerous retrospective

exhibitions, books, and feature and documentary films. He coined
the widely used expression “15 minutes of fame”. Many of his
creations are very collectible and highly valuable. The highest
price ever paid for a Warhol painting is US$100 million for a 1963
canvas titled Eight Elvises.

The private transaction was reported in a 2009 article in The

Economist, which described Warhol as the “bellwether of the
art market”.Warhol’s works include some of the most expensive
paintings ever sold. He died in February 22, 1987.

22 O F F S E T
O F F S E T 23
24 O F F S E T