Paula Scher is a designer associated with the New York Retro Movement. Along with Louise Fili and Carin Goldberg, the three artists established a movement that rediscovered earlier 20th century graphics. When typography converted from metal to photographic methods in the 1960’s and 1970’s the typefaces that weren’t popular at the time didn’t get converted. These typefaces became their treasure, waiting to be reclaimed and shared. Paula Scher’s education is rooted in the Swiss International Style of typography. She admits to having, “very bad neatness skills” and felt like she was being forced to, “clean-up her room” which lead to her switching majors to illustration. (1) Her ideas were stronger than her drawing skills, and at the advice of her teacher, Stanislav Zagorski, began to illustrate with type. (2)
Ms. Scher has a contradictory approach to design. A prime example of this can be seen in a poster she did for CBS Records in 1979. (Ref. Meggs. pg. 446, plate 25-40.) Scher uses a sans serif typeface with a layout reminiscent of Russian Constructivism, but she has reinvented it. In Russian Constructivism there would have been a lighter, floating more weightless feel, but here we see a composition that is heavy, weighty, compressed, and tight, much more reminiscent of 19th century wood-block type posters. When recession hit the industry in the late 1970’s budgets were cut, and designers like Paula Scher turned to type as a cost-effective means of expression. This suited the art of Paula Scher well. Her approach to design and type, and unorthodox attitudes regarding the, “rules” made her a leader in the field. She mixes fonts and colors, as well as extreme letter spaceing in her designs, but there is an underlying level of visual organization. (3)
In 1984 Paula Scher formed a partnership with Terry Koppel. Scher is an outspoken woman with a sense of humor; when the studio revived the 1925 type, Greco Roseart, Paula renamed it, “Greco Deco.” (4) She has been criticized for paralleling other art because the likeness is so close, as seen in her Swatch Watch poster, 1985 with the Swiss Tourism Poster, 1934 by Herbert Matter. (5) (Meggs 298) Scher has a profound respect for early twentieth-century design, which is clearly seen in her work. She pays homage to the movements and artists, sometimes as a compilation and other times singularly. She incorporates humor in her art, and in the case of the Swatch poster, employs a visual/verbal pun based on the Herbert Matter poster, not copying it. When describing Paula Scher, the A.I.G.A. writes, “She uses historical design to make visual analogies, and for its emotional impact and immediate appeal to contemporary audiences.” (6)
Rob Carter, in American Typography Today, describes Scher as having, “An endless appetite for design and approaches her work with vigorous energy.” (7) He quotes her saying, “I am a graphic professional. My first goal is to communicate. Sometimes I need to be quiet and sometimes I need to scream…what gives me the most pleasure are those pieces of work that contain a strong idea and an equally strong design. But design must also serve the idea. I’m happiest when the work is witty. If the audience doesn’t appreciate the design – maybe I’ll succeed in making them smile.” (8) And she does.
END NOTES
(1)
“Paula Scher.” Mixing Messages Essay. 1995. Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. 13 Apr. 2005 .
(2)
Mixing Messages Essay 1.
(3)
Meggs, Philip B. A History of Graphic Design. 3rd. Ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1998.
(4)
Meggs 298.
(5)
Meggs 298.
(6)
Milgrom, Melissa. Paula Scher, AIGA medalist, 2001.” American Institute of Garphic Arts. 2002. AIGA. 7 Apr. 2005 .
(7)
Carter, Rob. American Typography Today. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1993.
(8)
Carter 91.
