A. M. CASSANDRE

A M Cassandre

For Cassandre, designing a poster meant telling a story. He would take an objectthe Normandie ocean liner, a locomotive, a record, a wine bottle, or whateverand make it the center of attraction through bold geometry and witty pictorial drama. Aside from their strong nostalgic appeal, his famous posters of the 1920s and 1930s are memorable for their innovative graphic solutions and their frequent references to such painters as Ernst, de Chirico and Picasso. Cassandre, whose real name was Adolphe Mouron, was a highly influential commercial artist. This oddly impersonal biography by his son shows us the frustrated but prolific easel artist, successful theatrical designer, and creator of elegant typefaces and magazine art. Though the author fails to satisfactorily explain Casandre's suicide, excerpts from his writings quoted here shed light on his uncompromising artistic ideals. Numerous full-page color reproductions make this a volume graphic aristts will want to own.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Adolphe Mouron, who used the pseudonym A.M. Cassandre, was one of this century's foremost commercial artists. He is best known for his posters, which fused ideographical and typographical imagery. His graphic works are classics which continue to influence advertising design today. In addition, Cassandre created stage sets and costumes for major opera and theater companies, not only in his native France, but throughout continental Europe as well. The text, written by his son, is a proud, factually based tribute; this book is the first monograph on the artist, complete with an invaluable chronology and index to his works. Mouron carefully explains the evolution of his father's visual style, notes his association with Balthus and De Chirico, and then lets the 260 illustrations speak for the artist's achievements. Recommended for art school and large art library collections. Paula A. Baxter, Museum of Modern Art Lib., New York
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.