In the wake of the tragic murders in Paris, AGI-Fr will continue with its Graphisme Transmission conference scheduled for Dec. 7. The poster by Pierre Bernard offers a glow of optimism. However, sadly, this is Monsieur Bernard’s last poster. The co-founder of the legendary French design collective Grapus passed away on Monday.
I did not know Pierre Bernard (born 1942) as well as I would have liked, but I did know him to be a designer of conscience. A kind man with a social mission. I have long been a fan of his expressive abandon yet design rigor. Influenced by the Polish Poster, he integrated its artful subversiveness with his own sense of wit, producing images that were both serious and profane. Through Grapus, which began in 1970, and later the Atelier de Création Graphique, his work addressed social and cultural concerns. Among other commissions, he created the visual identities of the Louvre Museum, the French National Parks and designed posters and collateral for the Pompidou Center. He was awarded the 2006 Erasmus Prize for his work in the area of “design for the public domain.”
Read Rick Poynor’s Eye interview with Bernard here.
Postcards From PRINTPRINT magazine, one of the world’s most revered graphic design publications, turned 75 in 2015. In celebration, Steven Heller curated a collection of 75 postcards, each featuring an iconic cover of PRINT magazine straight from the archives.
About Steven Heller
Steven Heller is the co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer /Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, writes frequently for Wired and Design Observer. He is also the author of over 170 books on design and visual culture. He received the 1999 AIGA Medal and is the 2011 recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award.View all posts by Steven Heller →