Design and Science: The Life and Work of Will Burtin - Hardcover

R. Roger Remington; Robert S. P. Fripp

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0853319685 ISBN 13: 9780853319689

Publisher: Lund Humphries, 2007

Synopsis

Design and Science is an account of the life of Will Burtin who, it has been said, was to graphic design what Albert Einstein was to physics. Courted by the Nazi party, Burtin made an escape to America to protect his Jewish wife. There he made important contributions to international typography and visual design. His work was of enormous scope, working for the likes of magazines and pharmaceutical companies. Best known for his giant, walk-through scientific models of the brain and a blood cell, Will Burtin receives here the treatment he deserves as one of the greatest designers of the 20th century.

About this title

About the Author

R. Roger Remington is Professor of Graphic Design at Rochester Institute of Technology. His books include American Modernism -- Graphic Design: 1920 to 1960 (2003).

  

Robert Fripp (Robert S. P. Fripp) writes books and screenplays, and produces television. He worked as a junior assistant to Will Burtin in the 1960s. Robert, and Will Burtin's daughter, Carol, married in 1965. They live in Toronto.

From the Back Cover

It has been said that Will Burtin (1908-1972) was to graphic design what Albert Einstein was to physics. Burtin pioneered important contributions to international typography and visual design. He is best known as the world leader in using design to interpret science; as a proponent of 'clean', uncluttered sans-serif typography; and for his large-scale three-dimensional models, which carried the craft and the art of display to new heights. His walk-through models included a human blood cell (1958) and brain functions (1960). His major achievement, his clarity and ingenuity with models and graphics made complex information easy to assimilate. Early success in his native Germany brought Burtin unwelcome attention from Nazi leaders courting his services. He fled with his Jewish wife to the United States. Within months he won the prestigious contract to create the Federal Works Agency exhibit for the 1939 New York World's Fair. The wartime Office of Strategic Services drafted Burtin to create Air Force gunnery manuals, cutting recruits' training from six months to six weeks. In 1945, with the U.S. still at war, Fortune magazine lobbied to extract Burtin from the army in order to appoint him Art Director. By the late 1950s he was designing the walk-through exhibits for which he is renowned.

The first monograph on Burtin, Design and Science illustrates his leadership in five fields: using graphics to visualize science and information (pre-war); corporate identity (from the mid-1940s); multimedia (which he called 'Integration', from 1948); large-scale scientific visualization in 3-D (from 1958, foreshadowing computer-assisted virtual environments, i.e. CAVE-space); and, with others, promoting Helvetica in North America. Illustrations of Burtin's work that have never before been published make this invaluable book essential reading for design professionals and all those interested in design, visualization, imaging and information technology.

From the Inside Flap

It has been said that Will Burtin (1908-1972) was to graphic design what Albert Einstein was to physics. Burtin pioneered important contributions to American typography and visual design. He is best known as the world leader in using visual arts to interpret science; as a proponent of 'clean,' uncluttered typography (he imported Helvetica and was among the first American designers to use and advocate the font), and for his large-scale, three-dimensional models, which carried the craft and the art of display to new heights. (He designed and supervised the manufacture of enormous walk-through models of the human blood cell (1958); the brain and its functions (1960); the chromosome puff (1971); and others. His achievement was to make the complicated seem easy through the clarity and ingenuity of his installations.

He is also considered the "father" of corporate branding.

Shortly after arriving in the United States, Burtin was offered a contract to design the Federal Works exhibit for the US pavilion in New York's World's Fair of 1939. At the outbreak of war he was drafted into the U.S. Army and worked at the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) department of strategic planning, designing aerial gunners' manuals for A-29 and B-26 crews. From 1945 to 1949 Burtin was Art Director at "Fortune" magazine. By the late 1950s he was designing the walk-through models for which he is renowned.
The first monograph on Burtin, and including examples of his work that have never been published, "Design and Science" is an invaluable book which will be essential reading for design professionals and all those with an interest in design, visual communications including scientific visualization, imaging and information technology.

Edition details

• Publisher: Lund Humphries
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0853319685
• ISBN 13: 9780853319689
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 160