Artist of the day: Artist of the Day, August 17, 2021: Seymour Chwast, an American graphic designer, illustrator, and type designer. (#1340)

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Artist of the Day, August 17, 2021: Seymour Chwast, an American graphic designer, illustrator, and type designer. (#1340)

Seymour Chwast (1931) is an American graphic designer, illustrator, and type designer.

Chwast was born in the Bronx, New York City and in 1949 graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn where he was introduced to graphic design by Leon Friend.

The growth of Chwast’s path in art and design was guided by an amalgamation of internal and external influences. The internal factors refer to Chwast’s inherent personality and things he experienced that influenced his work. First, his early love for drawing was cultivated by his admiration of Walt Disney (Snow White in particular), Sunday cartoons, and serial movies. Initially, he aspired to work as an animator for Disney, but he shifted his direction while taking a Graphic Design class. Friend taught him to tap the potential of commercial art as an expressive medium, as well as creating with a purpose. In fact, Seymour learned that there exists a lot of play in design, from intellectual and visual manipulation to irony and parody. He was a part of the elite art squad at Abraham Lincoln- a group that created graphical pieces on demand and required a portfolio entry.

Afterwards, Chwast went on to study at Cooper Union in Manhattan and briefly co-founded a design firm his Sophomore year called Design Plus that completed all of 5 projects. After graduation, he worked as a designer for various renowned companies including: New York Times, Esquire, Glamour, and House & Garden. During that time, Seymour was influenced by several political graphics at Cooper Union including Ben Shahn, Georg Grosz, Georges Roualt, and Honore and Daumier.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cooper Union in 1951. With Milton Glaser, Edward Sorel, and Reynold Ruffins, he founded Push Pin Studios in 1954. The bi-monthly publication The Push Pin Graphic was a product of their collaboration. Chwast is famous for his commercial artwork, which includes posters, food packaging, magazine covers, and publicity art. Often referred to as "the left-handed designer," Chwast's unique graphic design melded social commentary and a distinctive style of illustration. Today, he continues to work and is principal at The Pushpin Group, Inc. in New York City.

In 1985, he received the AIGA Medal.

In 2006, he was hired by Roblox to design the faces for their characters. He is the font designer of Chwast Buffalo, Fofucha, Loose Caboose NF, and Weedy Beasties NF. He is a member of Alliance Graphique International (AGI). Chwast married designer Paula Scher in 1973 and divorced five years later. They remarried in 1989.

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