Max Huber [Hardcover]

Stanislaus von Moos (Author), Mara Campana (Author), Giampiero Bosoni (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006

Between 1942 and 1980, Max Huber (1919-92) earned an international reputation as one of the most innovative, distinctive and significant designers of his generation. After an Arts and Crafts education and later graphic apprenticeship in Switzerland, and inspired by the experience of the early modern masters he moved to Milan and started working at the Studio Boggeri. During the war period, he returned to Switzerland where he became a member of 'alliance', the distinguished association of modernist artists, and worked on various editorial projects. After the war, he moved back to Italy and soon started receiving important commissions, such as the one from Giulio Einaudi, a major cultural publisher in Italy, who in 1946 asked him to renew the typography of his Milan-based publishing house. It was during this time that Huber became acquainted with a circle of brilliant left-wing intellectuals and artists, including Italo Calvino, Natalia Ginzburg, Massimo Mila, Cesare Pavese, Fernanda Pivano, and Stefano Terra. Max Huber then worked on a variety of projects, including the socialist newspaper Avanti with Paolo Grassi and the 8th Milan Triennale. He also had a long collaboration with the Castiglioni brothers and later won the first prize in the competition for the poster of the Monza Grand Prix. His consistently brilliant and innovative design attracted people's attention everywhere, and consequently he travelled widely, mixing with the world's artistic elite. He exhibited his work in Europe and Japan, where he also held visiting professorships. Combining painting and photography with other graphic media he remained avant-garde throughout his career, bringing the utopian vision of such legends as Bayer and Moholy-Nagy to bear on corporate typography and brand design. Huber's graphic work is bright, sharp, always surprising and very effective. For this book, an impressive collection of original artwork and archival photographs from the Max Huber Museum shown in twelve thematic portfolios accompany three essays by experts in the field of Italian and Swiss design. In the first chapter, Stanislaus von Moss recounts Huber's formative years in Zurich, and describes the influences and connections with artists and designers on the international scene. In the second chapter, Mara Campana will cover his time in Milan where he gained his first experience at the Studio Boggeri and then went on to design posters, advertisements as well as corporate identities for major publishers and companies. In the third and final chapter, Giampiero Bosoni will focus on Huber's activity in the related fields of interior and exhibition design and in particular on his collaboration with the Castiglioni brothers. Extensively illustrated with over 300 colour images and b&w photographs, this book will be a significant addition to the design list and of interest to design students and researchers as well as to collectors of high-quality visual material.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stanislaus von Moos is Professor of Art History at Zurich University and an expert on European modern architecture and design. Editor of the magazine archithese, he has also written books on Le Corbusier, Venturi and Rauch, and the Esprit Nouveau. Mara Campana trained as an architect. She is a lecturer on design and architecture and regularly publishes in specialized journals. She has curated many exhibitions on designers and different aspects of the history of design. Giampiero Bosoni lectures on the history of design at Milan Polytechnic. He has written books on interior design between 1945-2001, contemporay domestic landscapes and on the work of Jean Nouvel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Phaidon Press (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0714845477
• ISBN-13: 978-0714845470
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 10.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,434,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless Visual Beauty, February 10, 2009

By 

Rickyfry "rickyfry" (Miracle MIle Cali) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Max Huber (Hardcover)

This beautiful book compiles all of the great Italian

designer's best work throughout his entire career.

Visually stunning work, ahead of it's time, inspiring always, my faves being the photomontage/type combos, 2,3 and 4-color overlays (check out the cover) all with supreme balance and taste.

A great addition to any graphics library.

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, July 13, 2008

By 

James L. Avilez (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Max Huber (Hardcover)

Wow, simply fantastic and sublime. Along with Hoffman one of the greatest Graphic Designers to come around.

5.0 out of 5 stars I ADORE THIS BOOK, June 8, 2007

By 

V. Brown (Salt Lake City, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Max Huber (Hardcover)

This book is informative of Max Huber, his style, his philosophies and it offers beautiful imagery both color and black/white. We display the series, including OTl Aicher, Josef Muller-Brockmann because they're all the same size and thickness. Phaidon knows what they're doing.