#Paula Scher

[strathshepard]

“Look for what you notice but no one else sees.” –Rick Rubin

See also: Legendary graphic designer Paula Scher talks about the process of designing this iconic book at Pentagram – a good primer on publication design in general.

If you don’t have it already, buy the book here

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Paula Scher / Pentagram / Dr. Jart+ / Ceramidin – Body Butter / Packaging / 2018

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The Public Theater poster Paula Scher

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Design: Paula Scher

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Paula Scher Gallery Poster Collection

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Paula Scher

Paula Scher is one of the biggest names in contemporary graphic design. Her hand can be seen around the world, on event posters, company logos, music packaging, in art galleries, and more.  

In her youth, Scher was always interested in art and became the poster designer for her high school’s events. She studied her BFA at the Tyler School of Art, where she was taught by Stanislaw Zagorski, the youth culture icon who was a prolific designer in both Poland and the USA and was responsible for iconic album covers such as The Velvet Underground’s Revolver, and Cream’s Wheel of Fire. It was Zagorski who gave Scher the advice “illustrate the type,” which she credits as the three words which led to her success as a designer.  

Upon finishing her degree in the early 1970s, Scher moved to New York to pursue a career in design. She quickly landed a job with CBS Records as the record cover art director and contributed to hundreds of album covers throughout her 8 years with the company. Some of her most noteworthy work from this period is her series with Bob James, particularly the One to One cover which cleverly reworked something familiar (a matchbook) into something new.  

Award-winning One to One album packaging

In her album cover designs, she ensured that the image matched the soul of the music. In a time when many album designs featured photographs of artists, Scher was an advocate for including illustration. She used typography as needed by individual designs, but her strongest works made use of her skilful hand-lettering, like her work on Charles Mingus’ Changes One and Two.  

Charles Mingus - Changes One & Two

Personally, I really like the design on the Cheap Tricks album cover (below), which plays with contrast and uses degraded letters that look like they have been hand applied with a technique like (rushed) lino-print. The result is striking, grungy, and comfortingly familiar.

Cheap Tricks album cover

In the mid 90s Scher began to work with The Public Theatre, designing posters for their up-and-coming events. In her designs she fused high and low brow styles, reflecting the ‘new wave’ that was prominent at the time. Scher designed the theatre's posters for their Shakespeare in the Park productions, which individually reflected the political happenings of the time, making subtle nods to events like the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal and the Iraq war. Scher capitalised off current events by staying in the know and understanding what was on the public’s mind; she captured the eye of the audience through understanding them then relating what they know to what she was trying to promote. Scher’s work with the Public was socially aware, and her use of dynamic, expressive, and bold design on their posters was a conscious choice to reflect the melting pot of a city that was (and is) New York. Her work on the Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk posters was playful, making use of bright colours and movement, while maintaining rules reminiscent of constructivism for the typography.  

Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk Posters

Being as prolific as she is, it is easy to see how Paula Scher - with her sophisticated and eye-catching body of work - is often referred to as the Queen of Graphic Design.  

References

Art Design Music - Paula Scher, (2021). [Podcast] Nov. Available at: https://www.artanddesignformusic.com/podcast/ep7-paulascher/ [Accessed 22 Mar. 2023].

Pentagram (n.d.). Paula Scher. [online] pentagram.com. Available at: https://www.pentagram.com/about/paula-scher#:~:text=Scher%20has%20developed%20identity%20and,the%20Museum%20of%20Modern%20Art [Accessed 22 Mar. 2023].

Singh, A.P. (n.d.). Paula Scher - Redefining Typography. [online] Available at: https://amrit.art/lighthouse/paula-scher-redefining-typography [Accessed 22 Mar. 2023].

TypeRoom (2019). War, lust, type! How Paula Scher’s typographic affair with The Public Theater redefined our culture - TypeRoom. [online] www.typeroom.eu. Available at: https://www.typeroom.eu/war-lust-type-paula-scher-the-public-theater-pentagram [Accessed 22 Mar. 2023].

[ciamartinezport]

Logo Design for Visual Communication

Design Process:

After watching "The Art Of Design | Paula Scher : Graphic Design" I designed a logo inspired by the aesthetics of the 80s. The big and bold colors are what made up the 80s and for my design I imagined a beauty and fashion company entitled "PUFF" that reported on the latest fashion and beauty trends from the past that were returning today. The logo is also inspired by the iconic Rubiks cube that broke our in the 80s and used this in creating the letters for the name of the company.

[strathshepard]

“Understanding how you feel in the face of other voices, without second-guessing yourself, is probably the single most important thing to practice…. Know how you feel, and own your feelings. The reason I chose to be an artist is to demonstrate: this is how I see it. If I’m undermining my taste for some commercial idea, it defeats the whole purpose of doing this.” —Rick Rubin

Buy the book here

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Paula Scher / Pentagram / Dr. Jart+ / Ceramidin – Body Lotion / Packaging / 2018

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Dunedin Fine Art Center has three exhibitions currently on view that are part of an architecture theme.

We Built This City, is a multi-media exhibition of work that “investigates the connection between Architecture and Music- conceptually, loosely, physically-poetically”.

Paula Scher’s woodcut You Me and Vanessa Diaz’s Decadent Ledge, both pictured above, provide thought provoking entries on this theme.

Also on view is Carol Sackman and Blake White: The Mosaic House of Dunedin, (pictured below) which includes bright and colorful mosaic work borrowed from their famous home.

All these exhibitions are on view until 12/23/22.

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WOII - Week 12: Art Ecosystems

An art ecosystem holds significant importance for various reasons, including cultural enrichment, community engagement, economic support, and beyond. Nevertheless, I believe that networking stands out as the most vital aspect within an art ecosystem.

Networking is indispensable in the design ecosystem as it enables collaboration, fosters innovation, and opens doors for growth and advancement within the industry.

For example, Paula Scher's ability to effectively network and leverage her connections played a pivotal role in propelling her design career to new heights, highlighting the importance of building relationships and seizing opportunities within the industry.

As I navigated through the various levels during Open Studios, I found myself particularly impressed by the final year students enrolled in the BA program. This experience underscored the importance of networking, as these students not only aimed to attract potential investors for their business concepts but also sought to engage potential customers or collaborators to realise their ideas.

Earlier this week, I had a conversation with a friend from Ngee Ann Polytechnic who graduated in Mass Communications. She shared her endeavor of establishing a creative agency and reaching out to our former peers to join her. This reiterated the significance of our community and networking in my mind once more.

Networking is vital in the design and art world, driving career advancement and fostering creativity. By connecting with peers, mentors, and industry leaders, artists and designers gain access to collaborative projects, exhibitions, and funding. Beyond visibility, networking enables the exchange of ideas and resources, nurturing a dynamic environment for innovation. Through networking, individuals cultivate a supportive community, receiving valuable feedback and guidance that propels their artistic or design career (Cole, 2024).

(Word Count: 275 words)

References

Cole, B. M. (2024, February 20). 10 Reasons Why Networking Is Essential For Your Career. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/biancamillercole/2019/03/20/why-networking-should-be-at-the-core-of-your-career/?sh=142011341300

Dwyer, N. (2018, May 31). The $1.5m napkin: Paula Scher’s 5 minute logo - Ned Dwyer - Medium. Medium. https://nedwin.medium.com/the-1-5m-napkin-abd2702927d0

Hilder, R. (2023, November 21). “They all started laughing because they couldn’t believe the logo actually came from that first dumb sketch,” Paula… Creative Bloq. https://www.creativebloq.com/features/paula-scher-logo-sketches

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Paula Scher: Nothing is timeless

‘You never can do what the kids do. What you do is look at yourself and find your own way to address the fact that the times have changed and that you have to pay attention. You can’t be a designer and say, “Oh, this is timeless.” Nothing is timeless!’ —Paula Scher.