Milton Glaser Overview

In 1955, along with Seymour Chwast, Edward Sorel, and Reynold Ruffin, Milton Glaser cofounded the Pushpin graphic design studio in New York. The studio's surprising style, which combined aspects of Victorian art, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco with... [more]

In 1955, along with Seymour Chwast, Edward Sorel, and Reynold Ruffin, Milton Glaser cofounded the Pushpin graphic design studio in New York. The studio's surprising style, which combined aspects of Victorian art, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco with contemporary typography and illustration, "captured the imagination of the world through its refreshingly organic approach to design and illustration." While at Pushpin, Glaser designed the incredibly popular poster for Bob Dylan's 1967 album, "Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits." At the time, Glaser was interested in Islamic miniatures and the psychedelic images emerging from the West Coast. Working from a photograph he'd taken of a striking sign in Mexico, Glaser designed the "Babyteeth" typeface used on the poster. The poster features Dylan's silhouette in black with his wildly dramatic hair looking exotic in electric colors. The expressiveness of the hair contrasts with the soft, geometric lettering, producing a sense of depth and vision that complements Dylan's music. Glaser extended his influence in 1968, when he and Clay Felker founded the weekly art and culture rag, "New York Magazine." Glaser went on to create the "I love NY" logo, which has become a fundamental part of the American landscape. He is also responsible for a number of other major projects: the complete graphic and decorative programs for the restaurants in the World Trade Center in New York; the redesign of the Grand Union supermarket chain -- including architecture, interior, packaging, and advertising; the design of an international AIDS symbol for the World Health Organization; and the logo for Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Angels in America." [show less]