Gilbert Lesser (1935 - 1990), American graphic designer managed to make a stunningly successful career, becoming the creator of posters for about 50 theater productions and also the creator of the beautifully classic "Studio 54" logo.
He graduated first in his class at the Maryland Institute College Art in 1956 and was also a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University. Posters were actually a relatively late interest; his career, primarily in New York, included promotional work for a number of publications including Fortune, People and Life. In 1978 he became promotion director for Life. He did stage and costume design, interior design, created company logos and also designed events, such as corporate celebrations.
He was almost 40 when he designed his first theater poster, for Peter Schaffer's "Equus," a horse made of geometric units but reminiscent of Picasso's "Guernica." It remains Lesser's most famous poster, but there are other memorable works here that combine the almost stark Lesser style with an image that picks up an idea from the play and makes it visual. The poster for "The Elephant Man," about a deformed man, shows essentially a stick man with an enormous circle for a head, inside of which is a quote from the character: "Sometimes I think my head is so big because it is so full of dreams." "Morning's at Seven," about four sisters who live close together and whose lives interact, has the image of a house made of four interlocking sections.
© 2019. All images are copyrighted © by Gilbert Lesser or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only.
He graduated first in his class at the Maryland Institute College Art in 1956 and was also a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University. Posters were actually a relatively late interest; his career, primarily in New York, included promotional work for a number of publications including Fortune, People and Life. In 1978 he became promotion director for Life. He did stage and costume design, interior design, created company logos and also designed events, such as corporate celebrations.
He was almost 40 when he designed his first theater poster, for Peter Schaffer's "Equus," a horse made of geometric units but reminiscent of Picasso's "Guernica." It remains Lesser's most famous poster, but there are other memorable works here that combine the almost stark Lesser style with an image that picks up an idea from the play and makes it visual. The poster for "The Elephant Man," about a deformed man, shows essentially a stick man with an enormous circle for a head, inside of which is a quote from the character: "Sometimes I think my head is so big because it is so full of dreams." "Morning's at Seven," about four sisters who live close together and whose lives interact, has the image of a house made of four interlocking sections.
© 2019. All images are copyrighted © by Gilbert Lesser or assignee. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, the use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained. All images used for illustrative purposes only.
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