Who’s the genius behind the designs? A question that many tend to ponder over
once they see some of the fascinating logos, posters, and films made during the 1960s and 1970s.
There is no doubt that there were many famous designers during that era, but most would argue
that Saul Bass was one of the greatest designers of all time. Saul Bass, a graphic designer and
filmmaker was born on May 8, 1920 in Bronx, New York. He was most known for his film posters,
title sequences, movies, and company logos that lasted for decades.
Undoubtedly, Bass has managed to become a legend in the field of graphic design through his creative works, which have come
to shape the design industry for many years to follow.
Bass started his career as a label designer while also working for a photo-offset plant where
he used to design trade advertisements for united artists. He developed his own unique style in his
film and print designs thereafter. Most of his work contained Russian constructivist typography as
well as ideas and methods of Bauhaus designs taught to him by his teacher Gyorgy Kepes .
Some of his memorable work involving film posters include his early designs of The Man
With the Golden Arm (1956) and Anatomy of a Murderer (1959) which focused on symbolic illustration.
Although his designs for both these posters were incomplex in content, they were very expressive of
the concept of their individual plot. Throughout his long career, Bass insisted that his objective
was always the same: "To achieve a simplicity, which also has a certain ambiguity and a certain
metaphysical implication that makes that simplicity vital. If it's simple, it's boring. We try for the
idea that is so simple that it will make you think and rethink" . The famous designer died on April 25,1996 in Los Angeles, California.
