Now Reading
Saul Bass Forever.
Slut for Slicha
A Very Jewcy Rosh Hashanah
Snipped and Satisfied
Schtupless in Seattle
Gefilte Guilt
Messy Meshugane. Again.

Saul Bass Forever.

Using the title sequences of some of Hollywood’s finest as his canvas, Saul Bass managed to revolutionize graphic design in introducing the fourth dimension of time. Via incredibly animated text and illustrations, he allowed for beautiful escapes to the motion graphics twilight zone that foreshadowed the films that followed in his own breed of aesthetics. Bass was prolific in partnership with the greats, setting a tone for Hitchcock’s Psycho while also expertly branding AT&T and even the Girlscouts. (Check out the clip above to get acquainted with Bass thanks to Archie Boston‘s diligent sabbatical work documenting 20 Los Angeles graphic designers in 1986.) Saul Bass had the enigmatic key to the city like Goudy, shaping the visual landscape as an artist mayor.

Now, Bass has got us all under ecstatic mind control again, this time beyond the grave and in a new medium as Laurence King’s Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Images does the icon a favor in compiling 440 juicy pages to celebrate Bass fittingly in text and graphics.

Check out this beautiful montage by Ian Albinson, editor-in-chief of the indispensable Art of the Title, a web resource dedicated to the watching, remembrance, and creation of the artistic medium. His brilliant montage of Bass’ work acts as a visual history to all eager eyes. We’re just lucky Bass chose the medium of Hollywood film as his go-to; he very well could have instigated a mass of complacent wartime volunteer service in another dimension. Good thing this Jew used his powers for good.

The Title Design of Saul Bass from Ian Albinson on Vimeo.

View Comments (2)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Scroll To Top