Date: 1994
Size: 40.5 X 27.5 inches
Size: 40.5 X 27.5 inches
Artist: Paul Rand
Printer: Toppan Printing Co.
About The 100 Best Posters Collection: This poster was originally created by Paul Rand in 1982 for IBM. This is an official reissue from 1994 from the collection The 100 best posters from Europe and the United States / 1945-1990.
"In describing the rationale behind this portfolio, Hiromichi Fujita, the President of Toppan Printing Co., explains in the introduction that, "the decision to publish The 100 Best Posters from Europe and the United States 1945-1990 was motivated by our earlier collection of Japanese reproductions published four years ago . . . the first collection was intended as a small contribution to the field of graphic design, which has enjoyed an inseparable relationship with the printing industry for many years now." The selection of posters in this collection were chosen by a panel consisting of Steven Heller, Alain Weill, Milton Glaser and Yusaku Kamekura. All posters chosen (...) were reproduced and were then donated to art museums and related educational institutions in 200 locations around the world. In addition to being forms of expression, these posters, which were created in the diverse social conditions that have prevailed since the end of World War II, truly serve as a testament to the age in which they were produced." (Source: swanngalleries.com)
About the poster: Originally designed for a Washington, D.C., conference for IBM designers this witty rebus became a point of controversy. Although Paul Rand had designed IBM's corporate logo, company executives complained that using a variation in such a comical manner might influence other designers to take unwanted liberties. The poster was not distributed until a few years later. The rebus is one of many tools that Rand uses to inject humor into his work. In this case, the timehonored convention gave this multinational corporation human qualities. (Source: The 100 best posters from Europe and the United States / 1945-1990, p.158)
This poster is in good condition and ready to be framed.