Milton Glaser: Man of Art

Milton Glaser: Man of Art

Milton Glaser is my favorite graphic design artist because he represents everything good that can come from graphic design. He is a champion in his field because he started working before computers. He had to use his head and his imagination to create his art and he is not ashamed to admit that art is work. In addition, he is also not ashamed to admit that art is work. It cannot go without saying, however, that are is also a great deal of talent. In Glaser's case, the talent comes from the ability to see things that are not quite there and make them images that will live forever. Basically self-taught, Glaser is an example for everyone that chooses to excel.

From early in his life, Glaser has demonstrated an independent edge unhappy to works by anyone else's rules. Glaser expressed an interest in art at an early age and at the age of 13, he took life classes with Moses and Raphael Soyer while living in New York. Afterward, he attended the high school of Music and Art in New York. Upon graduation, he studied painting, typography and illustration at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art "with the aim of becoming a comic-strip artist" (Grove). He spent two years working under the guidance of Giorgio Morandi at the Academia di Belle Arti in Bologna. It was here that he drew "extensively from plaster casts" (Grove). He was influenced by Felix Valloton and the decorative style of Art Nouveau and he "particularly admired Picasso's gift for working in both an abstract and realistic vein" (Grove). Glaser co-founded Push Pin studios in the 1950s, "groundbreaking" (Perman) studio that influenced the "professional world of graphic design in the 1960s and early 1970s" (Barnicoat).

Glaser and his co-founders "reintroduced a hand-drawn appearance to posters, which leant towards quotation and parody" (Barnicoat). Push Pin revived of the "union of art and typography, as well as its use of cultural references and visual language" (Perman). According to Barnicoat, many designs created by Push Pin Studio were "inspired by Surrealism, but they also borrowed imagery from many other periods; these magpie methods together with the bright decorative character of the posters set the style for a freewheeling approach to graphic design, which also appeared in other countries such as Britain" (Barnicoat). Glaser's works reflects a life of imagination that is not hindered by what other people think or by what other people are doing.

Glaser's style has always been eclectic often coupled with vintage typography and he has designed everything from poster, to book jackets to magazine covers. Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of Glaser's designs is the fact that they do not take themselves too seriously. Art is represented through a collection of pieces that feel good without feeling too overdone or weighing us down with a heavy message that is too much to bear. Glaser makes us realize that graphic art is a world all its own and an artist in this field is literally limited only by his imagination. The infamous "I [heart] NY" logo is an example of how art can set a mood, become an ever lasting trademark, and be associated with one particular thing forever. That is my favorite design by Glaser because of its simplicity and the message the design itself conveys. One would think that graphic design would need to be outlandish and complex to be considered good but this design demonstrates that it does not. Another favorite is the Dylan poster that is, again, not complicated in its appearance. The silhouette of Dylan is topped off with a mass of hair that is in the form of thick curly lines in bright colors. This image is one that is difficult to forget once it is seen. These images are iconic and they remain with us because they grab our attention without being overdone. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center poster is another design that is a favorite because Glaser has taken what we consider everyday elements and turned them into something that is recognizable but different enough to garner a second or third look. I enjoy the School of Visual Arts poster because it captures what artists do with a few words and what appears to be a simple image. Glaser's style is one that cannot be defined in a few words but, like most real and genuine art, we recognize it when we see it. From the very simplistic to the daring and edgy, Glaser's style is completely his own. His life is a tribute to graphic design if not the definition of it.

Glaser is an excellent role model for students of any age in any field. Throughout the years, Glaser remains an icon for graphic artists everywhere because he demonstrates how art does not have to be complicated to be good or effective. The idea of the image of a heart representing love, which has come to represent the grand city of New York, is a sterling example of the power of art - even when people are not fully aware of it. I would hope to excel with my art in the same way that Glaser did. He did not try to conform - he simply created from what was inside him. He was not particularly interested in anything but the design itself. In short, he followed his heart and it brought him much fame and contentment.