Design Icons #1: Alexey Brodovitch, graphic design genius

Who is your design inspiration? Whose work do you look to when you’re having an off day?

Mine is Alexey Brodovitch.

I was introduced to his work in 2006 by way of a page in US Harper’s Bazaar. The magazine was celebrating its 140th year of being the oldest continuously published fashion magazine in the world. Big stuff. Alexey was its art director from 1934-1958.

Born in Russia in 1898 to a wealthy family, he fled to France in 1920 after the revolution. Suddenly penniless, he had to earn money for the first time in his life.

He painted houses and sets for ballet companies while forming a community of exiled Russian artists. In Paris, he was exposed to some of the most exciting times in the graphics art world. His love of graphic design grew.

In 1924 his artwork won first prize in a poster competition, beating a poster designed by Picasso. His use of geometric lines, shapes and modern colour caught the attention of the design industry not only in Europe but also America.

He made the move to the States in 1930, considered to be a much more exciting place to be for graphic artists. Four years later, he came to the attention of Carmel Snow, the new editor of Harper’s Bazaar. They went for cocktails, and by the end of the evening he was the new art director of the magazine.

Up until this point, magazine design had been led by words. Big blocks of them with small images that were always kept separate. He took this rule book, ripped it into a thousand pieces and threw it out the window.

Suddenly the pages were full of beautiful photography, bold typography and exciting layouts.

Type on angles, multiple images of models dancing across the pages, models bursting through the middle of the copy: it was modern, exciting and quite daring. Design was king, legibility took a back seat.

It was modern art in print form.

Over the years, I’ve used some of his designs as inspiration for the magazines that I’ve art directed. I’m in awe of his vision and creativity, especially as he didn’t have modern technology to help him along.

Today, magazine sales are declining and people are saying they’ve had their day. But he did all of this during the Great Depression of the Thirties. If he can do it then, then we can certainly do it now.

Print isn’t dead. Long live print.

Photo: Harper’s Bazaar