How Tibor Kalman Did His Designing Work and how he utilized his creativity - Essay Example

Tibor Kalman Tibor Kalman was born in July, 6, 1949 in Budapest, Hungary. He was a well-known graphic designer and succeeded in his works of design. His position at colors magazine as the editor-in-chief in the year 1990 made him famous and recognized in the United States. He also wrote quite a number of books and made many accomplishments in the field of designs that were globally known and regarded. Tibor Kalman moved in to the United States with his family later after his birth due to dire circumstances that had something to do with the Soviet invasion. This demonstrates that his childhood was not very admirable. The shifting and attaining new residence of Tibor and his family took place in the year 1956. However, this was not their permanent place of settlement. They later settled permanently in Poughkeepsie, New York. This was when he joined the New York University for a year and then joined Students for a Democratic Society. Tibor later dropped out for journalism classes. Before joining the journalism classes, he had spent a year picking cotton in Cuba then returned to the US in 1971. Kalman created window displays for a New York University student book exchange which impressed the owner dearly. The owner was known as Leonard Riggio. Later on, he was appointed as the supervisor of bookstore’s in-house design department by Riggio. This marked his baby steps in his works as an author. Later in the year 1979, Kalman, Carol Bokuniewicz and Liz Trovato came together and established the design, M & Co. firm that faired very well in the field. Kalman left as the supervisor as he proved dissatisfactory. The firm did a lot of corporate work for clients who were diverse including the Limited Corporation, the new wave group and so on. In the early 1990s, on top of that, Kalman was also known to have worked with the interview magazines as the creative director. This shows how advanced he was and unique when it came to works of creativity. Perhaps it is one of the traits that contributed to his success in the field of designs (Tibor Kalman).  Later on, the Benson sponsored Colors magazine sought his expertise as the founding editor-in-chief and this led to Kalman dissolving the M & Co. firm back in the year 1993 to solely and devotedly work on the magazine, thus he relocated to Rome. He made an effort of moving his family to Rome due to the zeal he had towards working for Colors. The Colors worked with the motto that stated, ‘A magazine about the rest of the world’. With this respect, it narrowed down and focused on the multiculturalism and international awareness. It was therefore one very important magazine on an international level and was well recognized even externally. Therefore, working here meant Kalman’s growth and advancement as a creative worker in the field of design. Communications of the view point were made through topography, bold graphic design and juxtaposition of photographs and doctored images. As part of his achievements, the magazine also featured some of the renowned figures such as Queen Elizabeth and the Pope as racial minorities. This was one of his most famous shots and was examining racism. This is how Kalman began digging out success through hard work and focus in the field. He was good news to Colors as he greatly brought about success in transforming it to an international phenomenon and persistently pushed it forward in scaling the heights of success. As a result of the onset of Hodgkins lymphoma in the year 1995, Kalman had to withdraw from the job and return to New York. This was a huge loss to Colors as he was the most able editor-in-chief it had experienced in quite a long time (Heller). When he arrived in New York, Kalman reopened the M & Co. in the year 1997. He pushed on, working for the firm and raising it to higher levels, until the disease completely worsened that he could not hold it any more. Apart from working for this firm, he also taught there in the school of visual arts, wrote and designed his retrospective exhibition for the San Francisco Museum of modern art. Cancer proved to be a fatal disease by taking away Kalman’s life only two years later. He therefore passed away in the year 1999 in Puerto Rico. His graphic design work, which was by then named as Tiborocity was shortly after his demise mounted by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In addition, Princeton Architectural Press published a book with details about Kalman and M & Co’s work. Many years have now elapsed since the death of Kalman but the impact and influence of the firm is still strongly felt and recognized. Alexander Isley still carries on Kalman’s legacy together with Scott Stowell and other graphic designers. They all were advantaged to learn from Kalman’s firm and later on they were able to come up with and develop their own studios. The associates that Kalman was working with in the late 1970s established their own Smith & Milton studios in the United Kingdom. Apart from the above mentioned firms, Tibor Kalman also served as a board member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI). The American Institute of Graphic Arts presented him with the highest honor of graphic art, AIGA Medal, back in the year 1999. Kalman was also the one who signed the manifesto among the thirty three signers of the First Things First 2000 manifesto. Kalman had a better half by the name Maira Kalman who was an author and an illustrator (Gomez-Palacio and Armin 183). From his biography, it is evident enough that Kalman’s work is very significant in the field of designing. The fact that he upgraded most firms in designing and writing using his creativity proves how and why he matters in this discipline. Kalman also helped in establishment of firms that have helped in growth and development in the field. Stimulated growth helped to improve the industry of designs and it was initiated by Kalman. As a legend therefore, he is worth recognition and appreciation. He taught many designers who are currently doing well in the field and running their own studios. This means he initiated progress and gave a lot of life to the industry. Without his efforts, design works and progress would have been quite behind. These designers were taught by Kalman at his school of visual arts. This is how the industry of art and designing kept moving from those years when it was undeveloped to now when it has currently grown and developed so much. This took quite less time compared to other fields. This means that the field of art and design grew at quite a higher rate as compared any other field. Kalman’s efforts are part of what must have led to such great progress. Kalman, as found out earlier, has a number of significant projects that he has established and run within his life span. One of the most significant projects is the M & Co. firm which he had combined with several other designers to establish and run. This firm was very successful in that it helped in providing diverse services to its customers. This meant growth of the field and it possibly overtook many other fields and sectors. From this firm, Kalman was also able to utilize his high level of creativity and helped to make his partners grow too as far as productivity in the field is concerned. It is obvious that after his demise the M & Co. firm was dissolved, but even after dissolution, the partners and colleagues of Kalman did not fail in working and being productive in the industry, neither did they slide back in their works and projects as they were well equipped with skills that Kalman had helped them attain during the period he worked together with them. It takes a legend to leave behind such strong legacy which is continually appreciated and recognized up to date. This fully explains why the man is very significant in the field. Generally, there are numerous connections that are easily noticeable between the works of the designer and the content of the course. Kalman has history that is very significant to what we learn in this course. According to the course, graphic design is an international language that is well embraced across all nations (Drenttel and Helfand). This means that the work of a good designer should be noticeable and should be recognized even externally. This is what Kalman turned Colors to. Their magazine became internationally recognized and appreciated making the whole Colors international. Taking it to global levels is not an accomplishment that could be made by just anybody. It required a lot of creativity, hard work and devotion to the innovation of the industry. This is how Colors began obeying the teachings that are made in the course about a successful design firm. This in other words means that from then Colors became successful in the field of graphic and design. This is one way therefore through which the work of Kalman is connected to the education acquired from this course. From the course, we again find that unlike artists, graphic designers have clients. Kalman came together with some other graphic designers and established a firm by the name M & Co. firm. This firm is found to provide diverse services to the clients they had. This means that these graphic designers came together to deal with clients. Therefore, Kalman’s work is directly related to the course. The process of designing involves and requires doing a lot of research if at all one is to make it to great heights of the field. Observation is also a key ingredient in the making of a good designer. One can tell that the colleagues of Kalman, who ended up being good designers even after his death, applied these ingredients in learning from him. The time they spent together with this successful legend in his works of art and designing must have been enough to help them grow almost to his level. This was how they managed to survive after the sick legend passed away. Learning about how Kalman did his designing work and how he utilized his creativity, pressed on through thick and thin until he made it to the top as a renowned graphic designer has greatly influenced my ideas, opinions and perspectives about graphic designs. The fact that he accepted himself as a social activist encourages me to work hard socially as a student who is inspiring to be a competent designer. One of the major skills that I learn from Kalman’s story therefore is being socially liberal. I am encouraged to do a lot of research and not rest until I am at the climax. Kalman’s design products were all set in a way they attract public interest. This teaches us to consider and prioritize public opinion in our ideas of design. Designing is truly all about researching, observing prototyping and storytelling (Boulton). To me therefore, Kalman’s life script is very helpful in learning the course. It is all about acquisition of skills pertaining to graphic and designs and knowledge on how to deal with challenges that may come along. From the criticism of Kalman to the product of Joe Duffy, which had perpetuated mediocrity by selling out to corporate capitalism, I learn that advertisement should be done in a unique way that will not display mediocrity at all cost. I view this as an important skill that adds design values to me. Kalman also helped to prove the fact that graphic design is the easiest to recognize and has been round the longest (Cezzar). “He savored the nuances of type and had a fetish for vernacular design—the untutored or quotidian signs, marquees, billboards, and packages that compose mass culture—but understood that being a master of good design meant nothing unless it supported a message that led to action” (Heller). This greatly promotes the skills of an attentive student in graphic design. After going through Kalman’s works of designing that expounded facts on poverty, I learn that designing works should be inclined to the daily situations people go through, or some sense of reality that helps to make the product interesting socially. With proven facts that I have learnt in class such as those, I find it far much easier to understand the course and these facts stick in my head on top of the advantages I mentioned. Works Cited Boulton, Mark. Visual Design is Not a Thing. 2015. Web. 31 May. 2015. https://themanual.org/read/issues/2/mark-boulton/article Cezzar, Juliette. What is Graphic Design? 2015. Web. 31 May. 2015. http://www.aiga.org/what-is-design/ Drenttel, William and Helfand, Jessica. An Introduction to Graphic Design.2009. Web. 31 May. 2015. http://designobserver.com/feature/an-introduction-to-graphic-design/8727/ Gomez-Palacio, Bryony, and Armin Vit. Graphic Design, Referenced: A Visual Guide to the Language, Applications, and History of Graphic Design. Beverly, Mass: Rockport Publishers, 2009. Print. Heller, Stephen. Tibor Kalman. 1999. Web. 31 May. 2015. http://www.aiga.org/medalist-tiborkalman/ Tibor Kalman. 2015. Web. 31 May. 2015. http://www.famousgraphicdesigners.org/tibor-kalman Read More