Lower East

Paul Rand 100

On August 15th the American art director & graphic designer Paul Rand would have turned 100 years old. Mr. Rand is (still) a very big inspiration in the design work in the Lower East Lab.

He “was a pioneering figure in American graphic design. Adopting what he called a ‘problem solving’ approach to design, he drew on the ideas of European avant-garde art movements, such as Cubism, Constructivism and De Stijl, and synthesized them to produce his own distinctive graphic language. As an art director, teacher, writer and design consultant to companies including IBM and UPS, he was a major force and influence in the fields of graphics and visual communication and enjoyed an enthusiastic and committed following“.

Lower East says, what’s not to like?

The great Bauhaus Master (and photographer and painter and much more), László Moholy-Nagy gave these fine words to Paul Rand, in Rand’s early career: “Among these young Americans, it seems to be that Paul Rand is one of the best and most capable … He is a painter, lecturer, industrial designer, [and] advertising artist who draws his knowledge and creativeness from the resources of this country. He is an idealist and a realist, using the language of the poet and business man. He thinks in terms of need and function. He is able to analyze his problems but his fantasy is boundless.“

Happy Birthday up there, Mr. Rand!

Here’s a few examples of his excellent work, photos taken from the book ‘Paul Rand’ published by Phaidon Press.