Synopses & Reviews
The latest volume in our popular Art Deco series, German Modern explores one of the fountainheads of modern graphic design. The renowned design team of Heller and Fili presents over 200 of the distinctive images that helped define the look of "the modern"-many never before published. Through posters, advertising stamps, letterheads, package design, magazine jackets, and numerous other commercial ephemera, the cool sophistication of this hybrid deco style looks as fresh today as it did when it first appeared between the world wars. Unique to German Modern is a chapter on the provisional currency known as Notgeld, which towns and even companies were allowed to print in the years of Germany's dire inflation. A key reference work and inspirational sourcebook for designers, artists, and aesthetes, German Modern is a colorful exploration of a classic and influential chapter of international design history.
Review
From: Bloomsbury Review
Steven Heller and Louise Fili continue their wonderful sense of graphic design sourcebooks with German Modern. Concentrating on the period 1908-1929, the authors bring us a delightful array of posters and ads that concisely illustrate the innovative styles and visual treatments of the many German commercial artists who produced work that stepped outside what we usually think of as Art Deco. Divided into subject chapters of Industry, Culture, Travel, Transportation, Sundries, Food and Drink, Tobacco, Commercial Art, and Typography, the book also contains a seldom-seen look at the German Notgeld, or emergency scrip, which took the place of the unstable mark as the country suffered under the immense debt of World War 1. From the Sachpakat (object posters) of Lucien Bemhard to the Neue Typographische work of Paul Wendisch and Max Bittrof, this enjoyable collection brings back to permanence another group of ephemera that retain their impact as art symbols and influences."
About the Author
Steven Heller is the art director of the New York Times Book Review. He is the author of over ninety books on graphic design, popular art, and satiric art. He lives in New York City.
Louise Fili is principal of Louise Fili Ltd., and the recipient of numerous design awards. She lives in New York City.