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Every ornamental indulgence had utilitarian logic.

The
stark wood slats on the wall of his Los Angeles studio on
the Sunset Strip in 1946 served double duty as a clever
display system (with hidden mounts) on which to hang
book jackets and advertisements and a wall decoration.
Similarly, his cantilevered desk (inspired by Albini)
functioned both as a desk and as a compelling object that
seized the eye. Salt-and-pepper carpeting provided extra
texture and color, while ubiquitous Mexican straw baskets
were a counterpoint to modernist purity.

Alvin Lustig went blind in 1954, and died soon after of


Diabetes in 1955. In this year he employed his wife to
create what he couldnt, describing all the elements of his
previously colourful book covers. These however, were a
little darker.
He very much believed that Designers should be a
swiss-army knife of creation, being able to switch from
one thing to another designing and re-designing
everything if need be. Lustig did not like to be held
backby the labels of graphic designer, architect or
industrial designer and thus decided to do all if
needed to be. A career with no limits. Whether he
had the education to back up his Artistry he would go
ahead regardless.

The Lustig Chair was one of his most famous


creations. Around 60 were made, and arguably its
success came from the proficiency that Lustig
experimented in many different fields; due to him
not wanting to be limited and labelled. Whilst this
was made in the 50s it had an organic feel unlike
much of the other Graphic Design at the time
perhaps due to Lustigs aforementioned dabbling in
everything he could do!

Lustig wanted above most, to be able to create a


sense of order in the Universe. Whilst at first glance,
many of Lustigs book covers do not show an
essence of sensical communication it is the
clever use of symbolism and metaphor that reveals
to the readers what the story is about. He reshaped
what book covers are meant to display and mean for
the better course of the 1950s onwards!

I make solutions nobody wants to problems that dont


exist.
ALVIN LUSTIG

http://quotesondesign.com/alvin-lustig/
http://www.alvinlustig.com/
http://www.designishistory.com/1940/alvin-lustig/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Lustig

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