Saul Bass | Biography, Life, Work, Logos and Awards
Saul Bass (1920 – 1996)
Saul Bass is widely regarded as one of the greatest graphic designers in the history of art. He was also an accomplished filmmaker (he made the 1968 Oscar-winning animated short film Why Man Creates) and probably the most impressive and original of title designers ever to work in Hollywood. He worked with some of the most prominent filmmakers, including Alfred Hitchcock (North by Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho), Stanley Kubrick (The Shining), Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, Cape Fear, The Age of Innocence, Casino), Otto Preminger (The Man with the Golden Arm, Anatomy of a Murder), Robert Wise (West Side Story) and Billy Wilder (Love in the Afternoon, The Seven Year Itch). Bass created some of the most recognizable corporate logos in the world, including those for Bell System, AT&T, Continental Airlines, United Airlines, Girl Scouts, Rockwell International, Kleenex, Warner Communications and Minolta.
Born on May 8, 1920, in the Bronx, New York, Saul Bass studied at James Monroe High School in the Bronx and the Art Students’ League in Manhattan (1936-1939). He then attended night classes under Hungarian-born modernist painter, designer and theorist György Kepes at Brooklyn College (1944-1945). He started his early career in Los Angeles working in advertising in motion pictures. He established his own design firm in 1955.
Bass died at the age of 75 on April 25, 1996 in Los Angeles. His groundbreaking body of work exemplified a highly innovative and instantly memorable approach to design and was truly ahead of its time. He still remains one of the most popular, electrifying and influential graphic designers who influenced generations of artists and continues to captivate audiences.
Saul Bass Elsewhere:
– Saul Bass on Encyclopædia Britannica
– Saul Bass: Design Museum
– Saul Bass on Money, Quality Work & Creative Legacy