Graphic Classics Reveals Rich Evolution of Graphic Design
Phaidon has published Graphic Classics, a visual survey of graphic design history as told through 500 iconic projects from the beginnings of mechanical reproduction to the present day. Graphic Classics was first published in 2012 and this new edition is a reimagining of the 2017 bestseller Graphic: 500 Designs that Matter. The book features 50 new entries from contemporary artists, activists, industry icons, and less known designers, and serves as “an unprecedented deep dive into the art of graphic design over 700 years…”
Graphic Classics unfolds in a two-part chronological structure that gives each design space and attention, with large images up front and a 300-plus word text for each entry in the back. A new color-coded design key adds functionality by classifying designs into different categories, from advertising and typeface, to books, magazines, and logos. With designs dating back to the 14th century, spanning 33 countries and 5 continents, and including the works of more than 400 designers, the book’s breadth testifies to the immense diversity and rich evolution of graphic design across time. The collection runs the gamut from the Gutenberg Bible to the album art of Joy Division, anonymous creators to industry icons such as Aleksandr Rodchenko, Paul Rand, Alessandro Mendini, Emory Douglas, April Greiman, Stefan Sagmeister, Ahn Sang-soo, and Julia Born, offering compelling proof of graphic design’s enduring appeal.
The curated collection provides a definitive selection of newspapers, magazines, advertisements, typefaces, logos, corporate design, record and CD covers, posters, and moving graphics from around the world. Iconic designs include the Nike logo, the Japanese flag, the Times New Roman typeface, the Gutenberg Bible, the crossword puzzle, The Sex Pistols record and CD covers, Shepard Fairey’s Obama Hope poster, the New York City subway map, and the Olympic Rings, to name only a few.
Among the fifty new works: cover designs from The Black Panther, Gay Power, MSCHF Magazine, Epicurean, and other legendary publications; posters from watershed moments in political history including Silence = Death by Avram Finkelstein et al., Black Lives Matter by the Design Action Collective, Votes for Women by B.M. Boye; and iconic information design such as the Accessible Icon Project by Sara Hendren, Brian Glenney, and Tim Ferguson Sauder, the British Motorway and Road Signage System by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert, Environmental Taxes by Federica Fragapane, and more.
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Bold, informative, and comprehensive, Graphic Classics chronicles the extraordinary range of design. Whether it be Buddhist texts printed in 1377 or promotional materials for dOCUMETNA from 2012, this curated collection provides a definitive selection of newspapers, magazines, advertisements, typefaces, logos, corporate design, record and CD covers, posters, and moving graphics from around the world.
