ABC: Twentieth-Century Graphic Design

This book presents, in a portable, affordable format, a critical overview of the most influential figures in international design of the 20th century, from artists such as Alexander Rodchenko to graphic designers such as Paul Rand. The author, Sergio Polano, is a respected historian and critic of architecture and design, and his texts are both historical in nature and aimed for a popular rather than a specialist audience. Some of the essays in this book are well known, having been published previously; others were originally delivered as lectures; and still others are previously unpublished. The book opens with a summary of the main problems faced by a designer working in the field of graphics. This is followed by a series of concise, extensively illustrated sections examining the work of the principal graphic designers of the 20th century, from Peter Behrens to Tibor Kalman, from El Lissitzky to Max Huber, and from Alexander Rodchenko to Ed Fella. The images and extended captions selected and compiled by Pierpaolo Vetta supplement and illustrate the subjects covered by the texts.