A founding masterpiece of modern typography from one of the twentieth century’s most ambitious designers
Widely regarded as the most important Dutch designer of the last century, Piet Zwart helped rewrite the rules of modern typography. An autodidactic student of typography and printing, he incorporated elements of fine art and architecture into his graphic design. He often referred to himself as a “typotect”: part typographer, part architect. His best-known work, an 80-page catalog for the electrical cable manufacturer Nederlandse Kabelfabriek Delft (NKF), is a remarkable case study in visual communication: combining razor-sharp photos, playful type compositions, expressive montages and bold fields of color to transform the humble cable into a subject for experimental graphic design.
Received in avant-garde circles as a model of modernist New Typography, the catalog remains a sought-after touchstone of art and design history. This first-ever facsimile of Zwart’s NKF catalog reproduces the complete book with exacting details and in its original format. An accompanying critical supplement includes fascinating essays by design scholars Philip B. Meggs and Paul Stirton, a rich selection of rarely seen projects from Zwart’s decade-long relationship with NKF and a translation of Zwart’s original manifesto.
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Nearly a century of inspiration
Waaaaay back when I was fledgling graphic designer Piet Zwart came into focus thanks to Herbert Spencer’s “Pioneers of Modern Typography”, the iconic (legitimate use of that word) and essential read. Zwart’s work, from the first half of the twentieth century, opened my eyes to what commercial graphic design could be. Holding the Letterform Archive facsimile copy of Zwart’s 1927 catalogue for NKF Cables today reignites the thrill of seeing images of these pages for the first time. It’s an incredible piece of work, only intensified by the passage of time. What, I wonder, does the student of graphic design make of it now? How different the design and production process would have been. Encountering Zwart’s work accelerated my passion for typography and expanded my ambitions. And, it showed me how important it is, for us designers, to know our history. Well done and thank you to Letterform Archive for publishing this landmark piece of work. More please!