Revolution

Saul Bass revolutionized graphic design.  His work not only changed the era in which he lived, but has resulted in a complete new strategy for movies.  Back in the 1950’s, when attending a movie, one would not have seen the movie credits.  However, when Bass designed the credits for the movie The Man with the Golden Arm, history was changed.  His use of the black cut out arm immediately struck audiences, where they would have normally seen Frank Sinatra’s face.  His use of lines, colors, and lack thereof were a change to the normally boring mundane credits that normally flooded the screen.  He made it into an art form.  This was only the beginning of his notable movie credits.  He is well known for the work that he did with Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, and Martin Scorsese.  Although these movies could have been just as distinguished without the artistic credits at the beginning, we will never really know.

Bass’s credits are indeed one of his most famous works of art.  However, that is not all that he accomplished in his lifetime.  He also designed many of the logos that we are so familiar with today.  Some of which are Continental Airlines, Bell, Exxon, AT&T, Avery, Girl Scouts, and Kleenex.  His work is in so many places that not many Americans could truly say that they have not see Saul Bass’s work.  He completely changed art as it was known and I am sure that most if not all graphic designers strive to achieve his success.

http://designmuseum.org/design/saul-bass

http://www.thelooniverse.com/movies/west/saulbass/logos.html