BOLDTYPE ISSUE #57: Artwork By
Stefan Sagmeister
The cover of this issue of Boldtype is a detail from the cover of Things I have learned in my life so far, a new book by graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister. Published by Abrams in February 2008, the book — actually a collection of signatures — features a die-cut slipcase showcasing the designer's perforated, yet steady gaze. Each of the 15 individually designed pamphlets can be placed directly behind the cover to create an assortment of Sagmeisters: pimpled, pasty, fleshy, or, in this case, the public-garden variety.
Things I have learned in my life so far comprises a series of design projects, each revolving around an aphorism, inspired by a diary entry Sagmeister wrote while on creative sabbatical in 2000. Each signature details the inspiration for and the evolution of one or more of these typographic projects. Working in a number of mediums (often under complete creative license), Sagmeister has produced a new body of work that exists largely outside the realm of categorization.
Sagmeister was born in Bregenz, Austria, in 1962. He studied graphic design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and later, upon receiving a Fulbright scholarship, at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. After a brief stint working for his idol, the late Tibor Kalman, he established his own design studio, Sagmeister Inc., in New York in 1993. Through nearly 15 years of work, his studio has produced a number of controversial and award-winning designs. Earlier this year, in conjunction with the release of Things I have learned in my life so far, he was the subject of a solo exhibition at Deitch Projects in downtown Manhattan.
- Brian Fichtner
