Max Huber

by Stanislaus von Moos, Mara Campana, Giampiero Bosoni

Max Huber (1919-92) is one of the most significant graphic designers of the twentieth century. In this comprehensive monograph, the first to be published on this major figure, the authors trace and illustrate Huber's entire career, from his early years in Switzerland to his more mature work in Italy.
Huber's style assimilated the teachings of the early modern masters, such as Max Bill and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, combining their principles with the enormous variety of cultural influences present in vibrant post-war Milan. This fully illustrated survey of his work demonstrates that Huber was among the first to apply the aesthetics of the avant garde to a corporate and commercial environment, creating formal solutions that he would go on to use throughout his life. Among the 450 illustrations in this book (the majority of which were never published before) are examples of his celebrated posters for the Monza races, his jazz record covers and book series for major Italian publishers, which remain appreciated today as superb examples of their genres.
Some of Huber's most enduring achievements were on a completely different scale and remain in the collective memory of generations and on the streets of his logo design for the department store La Rinascente and the supermarket chain Esselunga, were so influential as to change the public's perception of these two popular stores and, moreover, the visual landscape of Milan itself.
The three expert authors of this book (Stanislaus von Moos, Mara Campana and Giampiero Bosoni) were privileged to have the full support of Huber's widow, Aoi Kona, who granted them unrestricted access to the renowned archive of Huber's work that is now housed in the m.a.x.Museo, in Chiasso, Switzerland. This wide-ranging and exhaustively researched book demonstrates the importance of this fascinating and influential figure in the history of modern graphic design.

Genres: Design

232 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2006

Reviews

[Lorenzo Diaz campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huber marcó una época en el diseño gráfico de Italia dejando un legado que junto con el “Milagro Italiano” construyó la historia misma del diseño contemporáneo.
Nacido en Suiza apenas terminada la primera guerra Huber (Cuyo nombre original era Hans Williman) se formó en los años de gestación del movimiento de la Escuela Suiza de diseño. Cercano a personajes como Max Bill y Hans Neuburg se involucró seriamente en el movimiento del arte abstracto creándose así unas bases sólidas que lo marcarían el resto de su vida.
Finalmente después de la segunda guerra mundial se estableció en Milán, donde se convirtió parte del grupo intelectual que dio origen al nuevo diseño italiano, a la nomenclatura cultural y estética del milagro italiano. Cercano a Albe Steiner, Sottsass y Castiglioni, creo icónicos diseño que continúan vigentes hasta nuestros días. Baste como ejemplo el logotipo de la Rinascente y su prestigiado Compasso D’Oro.
Phaidon se ha dado a la tarea de publicar monografías de estos íconos de diseño de la segunda mitad de Siglo XX, aquí he reseñado ya dos (Otl Aicher http://www.podiomx.com/2016/08/martes... Paul Rand http://www.podiomx.com/2016/08/martes... ) creando ya una serie de indiscutible valor. Para la realización de este libro los autories tuvieron acceso al archivo personal de Huber y el apoyo completo de su fundación, misma que hoy se encuentra en manos de su esposa y compañera de vida Aoi Kono. Esta es la monografía más completa de este genio del diseño y sin duda una referencia indispensable para comprender los derroteros del diseño contemporáneo.