Logo Modernism

The modernist aesthetic in architecture, art, and product design is familiar to many with a penchant for creativity. In soaring glass structures or minimalist canvases, we recognize an era of technological progress that affirmed human power to shape the environment, radically breaking with the conventions and constraints of the past. Less well-known but no less fascinating is the distillation of modernism in logo design. By creating visual concepts with clean lines, graphic designers aspired to distance themselves from the mystique they associated with commercial art and to balance an increasingly complex world with the clarity of their lines.

This unprecedented TASCHEN publication, the work of Jens Müller collects approximately 6,000 registered trademarks, concentrated in the period 1940–1980 , to examine how modernist attitudes and imperatives shaped corporate identity. Ranging from publishing groups to retail giants, from airlines to art galleries, this extensive survey of logos is organized into three chapters based on design type: "Geometric," "Effect," and "Typographic." Each chapter is then divided into sections based on shape and style, such as alphabet, dots, squares, etc.

In addition to an extensive catalogue, this book features an introduction by Jens Müller on the history of logos and an essay by R. Roger Remington on Modernism and graphic design. Also included are eight profiles of famous designers and eight informative case studies, with an in-depth look at the lives and works of luminaries such as Paul Rand, Yusaku Kamekura, and Anton Stankowski, and at such notable projects as Fiat, The Daiei, Inc., and the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. Logo Modernism It is an unparalleled encyclopedic resource for graphic designers, advertisers, and branding specialists, which will be fascinating to anyone interested in social, cultural, and corporate history, and the subtle persuasive power of image and form.