Customer Reviews

From Lascaux to Brooklyn

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If you love and respect the work of Paul Rand, this book belongs in your collection.

At first I was disappointed when i started SEE the images in this book. But then I started to read it and then it all made sense. As with almost everything Paul Rand has written, this is not a "portfolio showcase" it's more like "Why to I think the way a do". And believe it or not, 90% of the designers need to learn how to think rather then how to "do it". And it's all there in black and white (well not really) as simple to read it as to understand it, as to make it a "second skin"
Sure the 70's and 80's are long gone, but what matters then still matters today. So if you can buy "From Lascaux to Brooklyn" or "A Designer's Art" do it you will not regret it

I love the simplicity of the book which is a consistent reflection of Paul Rands style. However, I can't help but question his analyzation of so-called primitive art and design. For example he compared early african art to that of childrens art (in a positive way). And while he attempted to praise the art, I think he only succeded in confusing it. African art as well as other artistic expressions by early cultures cannot be analyzed by the same Western eye that we use to scrutinize our own creations. While we would like to think that we understand other cultures the fact is we can't Unless, we are personally involved with that culture. I don't think Rand understood this. He seemed pre-occupied with the mathematical beauty in all the example work, but I think for Early cultures it went way beyond mathematics. Furthermore, while I love his passion for design, I can't help but wonder if he speaks about Design as Art or design as a COMMERCIAL tool. Certaintly, Clients are more concerned with the Marketing component of design as opposed to how beautiful it looks. This is not to say I am against good design. But as more designers confuse Graphic Design with Personal Art, I find that most work is being designed with other designers in mind (and awards) as opposed to the client and his/her customers. Rosser Reeves had the same argument about Copywriters wanting to write elegant prose instead of Sales material. Rand is a great. This book is definitly a must read. But I wonder how many people go along with his philosophies simply hecause of who he is.

I thought that this book sheds a different kind of light on the how and why, of design. Written by a true master that understands every aspect of what he did, and why. He delivers the message as astutely as he designed. Read it, you will not regret it!