Category: 142

In 1961 in Rheinmünster, Germany, Douglas Coupland was born. Since the age of 4, he lived in Canada, where he would later study art at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver. After graduating, Coupland studied design in Milan, Italy and Sapporo, Japan. Though his life, he worked in various fields, including writing novels and scripts, sculpture, and different design areas.

His first novel, “Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture,” is probably his most notable work, as it popularized the term “generation x.” As for his work in visual arts and design, his style was influenced by Pop art artists such as Andy Warhol, and he tends to use his pieces to criticize the reality of today’s society.

One of the things I like about his work is how colourful each of his pieces is, as well as his use of simple elements such as geometric figures. Thus, he creates striking and attractive pieces which are still simple. But definitely, what I find most fascinating about Coupland is seeing how a person can perform in so many different fields and stand out in each one of them.

Ettore Sottsass was born in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1917. He grew up in Turin, Italy, where his father was an architect. There, he studied at the Politecnico di Torino and graduated in 1939. He gained interest in the design world after meeting the designer George Nelson on a trip to New York. Then, in 1948 he founded his own studio of architecture and graphic design. In 1980, he became one of the founders of the Memphis group, which he was a part of until 1985. In that year, he founded the studio Sottsass Associati.

His pieces are characterized by being colourful, unusual, innovative and geometric. This particular style can be evidenced in all the different products he designed: cutlery, furniture, sculptures, office machinery, jewellery and architecture. Among his most recognized designs are the Valentine typewriter, the Carlton bookcase, the Milano airport, the Ghella house and the Torino Esposizioni.

In my opinion, his pieces are eye-catching, and I find it fascinating how he achieves such captivating and unique pieces with so few elements. His works never look over-designed; there is a certain simplicity in everything he designed, but at the same time, they are striking.

Paula Scher was born in 1948, and grew between Washington DC and Philadelphia.Then, she studied fine arts in Pennsylvania, and obtained her bachelor degree in 1970. She got married and moved to New York city, where she started working for Random House. Later, she worked for CBS records and Atlantic records. In 1984, she founded the company Koppel & Scher, with Terry Koppel. In 1991, she became part of Pentagram.

Her style is characterized for her use of typography, and for having influences from the Russian constructivism. Among her most important works, we can mention her branding projects for Tiffany and co, Windows, Citibank, and for The Public Theater.

Scher has also published a few books, including Make it bigger and MAPS.This last book is a compilation of her designs of more than 39 maps around the world, and I personally find it fascinating, and innovative. I am not specially interested in maps, but I think it is extraordinary the way she achieves aesthetically attractive design while being so busy at the same time and I admire her unique use of typography.

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In 1937, in Berlin, Peter Max was born. The following year, his family moved to Shanghai. After a season there, they moved to Israel, Paris, and New York. All these experiences would influence his style and work as a designer in the future. Once there, since he had always shown his interest in art, he began his studies at the Art Students League of New York.

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Today, Max is known for being the graphic designer who revolutionized the concept of modern art in the United States, becoming a symbol of pop culture. What stands out most about his psychedelic style is the use of many vibrant and bright colours in the same piece. In addition, he also includes icons of American culture in his works.

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Thanks to his various trips, he was influenced by different artistic movements, such as Fauvism or Expressionism. What catches my attention about his work is his mastery of colour. He manages to make his works look balanced, despite the vast number of colours he uses, not to mention all the different elements that he includes. In my opinion, this is not an easy task, and only a good designer can achieve it.

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