Joseph Sullivan

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Saul Bass

Part 1 – About Artist

Bass was born on May 8, 1920 in New York City. He became a prominent figure in the graphic design field through his involvement in the film industry. Saul was introduced to Hollywood in the 1940’s and mad himself known by designing print advertisements for popular movies of the time. Bass continued his career with the film industry for quite some time and became quite important in the creation of film title sequences with the release of  “The Man with the Golden Arm” in 1955. Bass was introduced to his wife, Elaine Makatura, through this line of work in 1955 and the two became husband and wife in 1961. They put both of their heads together when taking on projects, making them a force to be reckoned with. The two took a step down from the industry when they decided that they had to raise their family in the mid-60’s and this sabbatical lasted through the 1980’s.

Saul Bass is also responsible for creating iconic and long lasting logos in the United States. Bass started his work with logos in the 1950’s and throughout this career made several pieces that are still in use today, such as the AT&T logo and the Boys and Girls Club logo. Bass passed away in 1996 at the age of 75.

Part 2 – Highlights

• Started career in Hollywood in the 1940s
• Began collaboration with Elaine Makatura, later becoming his wife
• Created AT&T logo in 1969

Part 3 – Gallery

Saul Bass - Quaker Oats - 1969

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• Saul Bass – Quaker Oats – 1969
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• Saul Bass – Dixie – 1969
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• Saul Bass – Boys & Girls Club 1969
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• Saul Bass – AT&T – 1969
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• Saul Bass – AT&T (Revised) – 1983
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• Saul Bass – Anatomy of a Murder Poster – 1959
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• Saul Bass – The Man With the Golden Arm Poster – 1955
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• Saul Bass – Vertigo – 1959
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• Saul Bass – West Side Story – 1961
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This gallery features works that range from logos to movie posters. Bass had a very distinct style when it came to his design. Saul used a very blocky and almost abstract approach when tackling solutions to his design, as is evident in each of these works. It is also common to see Bass using silhouetting in his design, typically within his movie posters.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Bass

http://www.artofthetitle.com/designer/saul-bass/

http://www.saulbassposterarchive.com/