Artwork designed by Stefan Sagmeister has intrigued many art loving people from all walks of life. In one of the most phenomenal exhibitions in MOV's 12-decade unbeaten history, he presented an amazing experience to transcend the demarcation between art and design. His work takes taken over museum galleries, in-between gaps -stairwells, boardrooms, and many other places; just to ask what makes people happy (Typeface Tuesdays: Stefan Sagmeister 1-2).
Stefan Sagmeister does not just design a piece of art for nothing. He is among the select few who understand that that art is not throwing paint on paper, but rather it has to carry a message for the intended audience (Sagmeister & Walsh 2). Some of my most admired artworks by Stefan Sagmeister are shown in figures a, b and c.
In The Happy Film, he utilizes the negative space to curve different shapes of letters to communicate his message. It does evoke reminiscing memory because watermelon makes one think of summer which comes with fun.
Stefan Sagmeister is an Austrian, but he lives and works in the USA. He is widely traveled. His work has seen him work for and collaborate Rolling Stones, The Talking Heads, Lou Reed, the Guggenheim Museum and Levis and many other places from around the word (PERKOVIC 1-4). In Happiness at Vienna's MAK, Sagmeister presents a research-supported exploring exhibition to show happiness at Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts. It is quite captivating because no artist has ever presented research inform art. He seems to be his own mentor and motivator. He seeks to create something better every time that last (Hall 23-26). This makes him stay ahead of his competitors every time.
Social Constructs that Promoted Sagmeiste’s Work and Excellence
In an interview with The Great Discontent, Sagmeister asserts that excellence comes with many years of persistence and discouragement from many people including close friends. He did not have much to go by, but his persistence saw him through the hard times. He began his career working for a smaller local magazine but sooner than later he realized that he preferred the designing aspects more than writing articles. At the same time, he juggled other activities including playing in amateur bands that did not pay very well. However, playing in this bands was a precursor to the trajectory he took later with regards to applying for design school upon attaining the age of eighteen (Discontent 1-4).
He recounts not to have joined design school immediately but rather attended a small private school that taught art. He later reapplied to the University for a Degree that took four years. After four years, he secured a scholarship to Pratt Institute, New York, for a Masters’ degree. Upon expiry of his student resident permit at Pratt Institute, he set of course for Vienna where he worked for over year in Hong Kong, where he worked for a large mantle company. He was tasked with opening a studio for the company, which he successfully did (Discontent 1-4).
He recounts his stay in Hong Kong as one of the most commercial phases in his life because he came in contact with so many business persons with diverse ideas from different parts of the world. While working for the mantle company, he learned all there was to be learnt about operating a design studio. He amassed insurmountable experience with respect to working for big and small agencies and many customers at the concurrently within this construct. After one year, he relocated back to New York to work for Tibor Kalman, who he happily refers as his hero, for about one year; after which he started his own studio. Judging from his schooling, moving back and forth from one continent to another, working for different people in different continents, working for small and giant companies and more built his mind to perceive art a business career. This put him above the rest of his competitors in delivering excellently crafted art to both small and big clients; thereby building his reputation.
Socio-politics Events Shaping Sagmeister's Interest in Art and Design
Sagmeister comes from a lineage immensely endowed with knowledge of art and design. His grandfather and father were artsmen. However, unlike his kinsmen, he always had the willpower to go an extra mile. He narrates that his folks were stopped by the unfavorable political intrigues in Austria, but he want not. Probably because of traveling to distant lands to seek education during which he grew somewhat immune to the sociopolitical challenges.
He attributes his first actual moment of initiation to art as a student. In a company of three other students, they created a group and began to design posters for a highly respected theater in Vienna known as Schauspielhaus. The performance of their posters was well received. The boys were so proud because the posters were all over the city, with an incredible representation of the studio partly attributed to the quality posters. Many city dwellers bought the posters from the theater to just hang them in their houses (Discontent 1-4).
Because of the job was well done, Sagmeister and the theater director became quite close. The theater had always wanted a bigger space to host events. He secretly admired a deserted theater space in the middle of Vienna City. The administration had plans demolish it to pave the way for erecting new apartment buildings in its place. In his attempts to halt the demolition, the theater manager ordered a series of posters from Sagmeister to just mention the name of the theater considering it was a legendary name. This brought shame to the city administration, and it opted not to demolish as a fly-by-night down the act. This was excellent work and got highly profiled in the launching of most flamboyant galleries in the City. To honor Sagmeister, the theater manager allowed the latter to have a show at the “Gagosian” of Vienna despite being just 22 years old. It was just for a day, but Sagmeister liked every second of his show because every magazine and newspapers and TV personnel attended; the events got wide media coverage. It was a huge step for Sagmeister. To top it all, the theater was saved. At this point, he began to realize the power of his art. He could not believe that by mentioning the name of the building and condemning its demolition will actually yield tangible results.
Sagmeister' Art Vs Guillaume Apollinaire’
dd
Although the artwork was done in different time lines, it is apparent that both artists were keener on bringing out the beauty of a woman. Judging from the meticulous nature of the artwork, it is easier to tell that they spent considerable lengths of the amount of time to design and finish caricatures.
Work Cited
"Typeface Tuesdays: Stefan Sagmeister." am design perspectives. N.p., 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2016.
Hall, Peter A., et al. Sagmeister: made you look. Booth-Clibborn, 2001.
PERKOVIC, JANA. "Graphic Designer Stefan Sagmeister Explores Happiness At Vienna's MAK". ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN. N.p., 2015. Print.
Sagmeister & Walsh. “Lou Reed, ‘Set the Twilight Reeling.'” Design Products. 2016. Web.
Discontent, “The Stefan Sagmeister On The Great Discontent". The Great Discontent. N.p., 2014. Web. 3 Apr. 2016.
