Alexey Brodovitch [Hardcover]

Kerry William Purcell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2002

"If you know yourself, you are doomed". Such was the attitude with which legendary designer and photographer Alexey Brodovitch, the long-time art director of "Harper's Bazaar", approached each new project and transformed graphic design in the 20th century. Brodovitch was known foremost for his work on "Harper's", but his legacy extended far beyond the magazine's pages: as a teacher in Philadelphia and New York for some five decades, he inspired dozens of young photographers and art directors who would go on to become famous names themselves, including Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Robert Frank and Lisette Model. Born and educated in Tsarist Russia, Brodovitch was gifted, mercurial, and by turn inspiring and infuriating. He accepted nothing less than constant innovation from himself and his students, yet insisted that no one could ever really teach design - that creation had to come from within. This book chronicles Brodovitch's life and work, documenting his contributions to photography, design and the visual arts, and his collaborations with photographers and artists. Kerry William Purcell includes many quotes from original interviews with Brodovitch's friends, colleagues and fellow photographers. The book is divided into six roughly chronological chapters, beginning with Brodovitch's childhood in Russia and his early design work in the 1920s, and ending with his last difficult and solitary years in New York, when he battled alcoholism and ill health.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Although the name Alexey Brodovitch may not be familiar to everyone, in the world of graphic arts it speaks volumes. Designer, photographer, and interior designer Brodovitch reigned as art director of Harper's Bazaar from 1934 until 1958. Working with artists such as Man Ray, Richard Avedon, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, he dramatically altered American magazine design. The double-page spread was one of his signature innovations, as was the emphasis on negative space in layouts. This book, with examples of some of his finest work, is the catalog for an exhibition held at the Maison Europ?ene de la Photographie in Paris last year. It is also the first significant Brodovitch publication since 1989. The illustrated index, drop cover, and full-page facsimile reproductions make for a very attractive presentation, though the wide-column pages of text are maddening to read. Highly recommended for art and design libraries.AMargarete Gross, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

A lavish compilation of Brodovitch's ground breaking work. --. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (October 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714841633
• ISBN-13: 978-0714841632
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 10.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,186,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Need of Inspiration? Brodovitch is THE Fix, October 14, 2000

By 

Michael Pinto "Anime Fan" (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alexey Brodovitch (Portfolio (Assouline)) (Hardcover)

Alexy Brodovitch is one of the best art directors of the 20th Century. This book is worth every penny because it really allows you to see his work in the same scale that he created it at. Thus when you are looking at a magazine spread from the master, you are seeing it full size - and not as a little pretty icon that decorates too many design annuals. In addition there are examples of his raw layouts, which really let you see a genius at work. This book is a must for any fan of graphic design, photography and fashion.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Master of American Advertising Design, May 20, 2000

By 

Blake Heathcote (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alexey Brodovitch (Portfolio (Assouline)) (Hardcover)

This book represents one of the very few studies of one of the masters of American advertising and graphic design. Brodovitch served as mentor to such photographic luminaries as Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, and his distinctive and very modernistic style of layout and use of the grid are exemplary. He was integral to magazine design in the middle of this century, and yet has fallen into relative unknown. Unreasonably so. Any student of graphic design, its design or current practice, would do well to own this book. In this age of busy, frantic graphic pages, Brodovitch's work reflects a serene, yet knife-edged clarity.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book, January 29, 2009

By 

Russell Munson "Photographer" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Alexey Brodovitch (Portfolio (Assouline)) (Hardcover)

This beautifully produced and historically important book is a unique tribute to the great designer, Alexey Bradovitch, in that it concentrates on the format of the double page spread which was arguably the master's most significant area of innovation in magazine and book design. Reproduced in the large format book are many of Bradovitch's most notable spreads. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in graphic design, typography, photography, and the printed page. It is valuable both as visually fascinating volume to page through, and as a reference work to be studied and inspired by.
Russell Munson