Poster Man (50 Years of Iconic Graphic Design)

This collection of over 140 curated posters by the revolutionary graphic artist Seymour Chwast provides context and insight into not only his five-decade career, but the poster genre itself. Since founding Push Pin Studios alongside Milton Glaser and Edward Sorel in the 1950s, Chwast’s posters have been widely celebrated for their combination of subversive style and strong political satire. His caustic humor, graphic hand, and visual commentary cleverly synthesize in a way that is both wry and immediately understandable. Posters are arranged by type—Causes, Commerce, Information, Exhibits, and Lectures—rather than chronology, which, along with the large format, invites readers to engage thematically with the designs. Commentary on each poster makes this a valuable resource for students, educators, historians, and all who appreciate the unique ability of posters to subvert notions of popular culture, politics, and design at once. Essays by Shepard Fairey and Steven Heller contextualize Chwast's impact on 20th-century design.