Many of you may have somehow been influenced by the work of graphic designer Saul Bass directly or indirectly. His famous work for film sequences and titles as well as his relationships with the greatest filmmakers of the time such as Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, and Martin Scorcese and has placed his modern, and abstract works in movies such as Vertigo, The Man With the Golden Arm, and The Age of Innocence. What made me fall in love with Saul Bass's film art as well as his logo works is his clever use of minimalism and negative space. It takes some kind of person to transform an object as banal as a cutout of a paper arm into a controversial and metaphorical icon. He studied at the Art Students League in New York City and also attended Brooklyyn College before his launch into designing film posters. His big break came in the form of creating a film poster as well as sequence for the film Carmen Jones thanks to its director Otto Preminger. His work captured the eye of Alfred Hitchcock who commissioned him to create sequences for several of his films due to his attraction to Bass' contemplative designs which meshed well with Hitchcock's psychological thrillers. His movie poster work continued for over 40 years and also included his graphic design logo work for famous companies such as Dixie, AT&T, United Way, Girl Scouts, and the YMCA. Bass is also quoted for the powerful maxim that "Design is thinking made visual." And no doubt Bass could sublime his immense imagination into his works. Check out the best of Saul Bass after the jump.
