wiedler.ch

book (design) story #202

sigfried giedion, max bill:
zeitprobleme in der schweizer malerei und plastik

kunsthaus zürich, 1936
printer: buchdruckerei neue zürcher zeitung, zürich
size: 21 x 15 cm
designer: max bill

this is the catalogiue of the first major exhibition of swiss abstract and surrealist artists in switzerland. among the artists are also hans arp and sophie täuber-arp, le corbusier, alberto giacometti, paul klee, richard paul lohse and max bill (1908-1994) who designed the catalogue and poster. the cover's asymmetric design and vertical list of artists was probably inspired by jan tschichold's similar catalogue design for the 1935 "these antithese synthese" exhibition in luzern (see story 380). later tschichold used a similar design for this exhibition catalogue – now employing a vertical rule, too.

a clever aspect of bill's design: the list of artists on the cover doubles as a table of contents. unfortunately, the catalogue's original owner marked some of the names (arp, klee, le corbusier, leuppi) with scribbles...

sigfried giedion, le corbusier and bill contributed texts. below art by clara friedrich and alberto giacometti.

the rear cover features a famous ad by max bill for a printing plate company.