The Illustrator. 100 Best from around the World

by Steven Heller (Editor)

For the last ten years, Steven Heller and Julius Wiedemann have traced the latest developments in illustration across the globe―and for all those who thought digital heralded the end of an era, they’re here to set the record straight. There were extraordinary eras before mass media changed our viewing habits, back in the day when illustration was the most primary means of illuminating the word on paper, to today when we get our words and images on screens as small as a watch face. And in this environment, today’s designers and artists are holding their own brilliantly. Illustration is more free and varied than ever, and it is ubiquitous in all kinds of media from paper to screen, books, packages, clothing, cars, and restaurants. This book celebrates the sheer quality, diversity, intensity, comedy, vivacity, and exceptionality of the work being created by illustrators right now. From veteran artists like Brad Holland, whose oblique and metaphorical paintings for the New York Times’ op-ed section revolutionized illustrative content in the 1970s, to up-and-coming stars like Robin Eisenberg, her pastel-skinned alien belles cruising in spaceships on indie-rock album covers, the 100 artists in this collection are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but they represent a compelling snapshot of the styles, techniques, and use of color by artists across the world. We dare you to pick your favorites. Includes: an introduction and foreword by editors Julius Wiedemann and Steven Heller 600 pages of brilliantly reproduced works a biography for each artist detailing their background, philosophy, motivations, and contact details an index of illustration agencies

Genres: Art, Design, Art Design, Nonfiction

664 pages, Hardcover

Published August 16, 2019

About the author

Steven Heller writes a monthly column on graphic design books for The New York Times Book Review and is co-chair of MFA Design at the School of Visual Arts. He has written more than 100 books on graphic design, illustration and political art, including Paul Rand, Merz to Emigre and Beyond: Avant Garde Magazine Design of the Twentieth Century, Design Literacy: Understanding Graphic Design Second Edition, Handwritten: Expressive Lettering in the Digital Age, Graphic Design History, Citizen Designer, Seymour Chwast: The Left Handed Designer, The Push Pin Graphic: Twenty Five Years of Design and Illustration, Stylepedia: A Guide to Graphic Design Mannerisms, Quirks, and Conceits, The Anatomy of Design: Uncovering the Influences and Inspirations in Modern Graphic Design. He edits VOICE: The AIGA Online Journal of Graphic Design, and writes for Baseline, Design Observer, Eye, Grafik, I.D., Metropolis, Print, and Step. Steven is the recipient of the Art Directors Club Special Educators Award, the AIGA Medal for Lifetime Achievement, and the School of Visual Arts' Masters Series Award.

Reviews

[Lukas Sabaliauskas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taschen is an art book publisher and it's another outstanding print quality, fascinating and colourful volume from them. It's an international representation of illustrators about various designers in a broad collection of fields. Good value, inspiring, gorgeous selection and design presentation.