Joseph Binder (graphic designer)

Joseph Binder was born in Vienna on March 5, 1898. In 1912 he began a lithography apprenticeship with Waldheim Eberle printers in Vienna and then served in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I. In 1922 he enrolled at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts (Kunstgewerbeschüle) where he studied under Berthold Löffler. Binder was influenced by other Viennese Secessionists who taught at the school, including Koloman Moser. While still a student, Binder produced commercial work through a design studio he established with several friends. The studio was named ESBETA after the initials of its founders. One of his early honors included first prize in a poster competition sponsored by the American Red Cross. == Career ==

Vienna In 1924 Binder established his own studio, Wiener Graphik, in Vienna. Important commissions followed including those for two coffee companies, Arabia and Julius Meinl. A version of the logo he created is still in use today. Other companies he developed logos for include Thonet, Semperit, and Bensdorp. In 1936, Binder wrote an article for the American Magazine of Art in which he promoted "stylization," his word for a modern approach based on abstraction and reduction of form. He believed that the realistic approach dominating U.S. advertising at the time needed to be replaced with "modern design." Throughout the 1930s Binder's international reputation continued to grow, fueled by the presence of his posters in exhibitions from New York to Tokyo. In 1938 he officially closed his Vienna studio two years after moving to the United States. In 1936, he established a studio and residence on Central Park South in New York City. Breaking into the New York advertising world was challenging at first. Agencies asked him "to supply ideas" as a way to offer their clients an alternative approach to the realism prevalent in American advertising. By the late 1930s, Binder found success in the United States. His winning entry for the 1939 New York World's Fair poster competition only served to further his reputation. As the New York Journal reported, "like a sponge, Binder absorbed the spirit of 20th century America so completely, in fact that he has produced the official poster for the World's Fair." His highly stylized design prominently featured a glowing trylon and perishphere, the symbol of the fair. Secondary elements, including a fleet of aircraft, an express train, an ocean liner and the New York skyline, represented America's coming of age and technological prowess. In 1941, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) sponsored the National Defense Poster Competition. Binder submitted winning entries in two categories. His poster for Defense Bonds took second place and his poster for the Army Air Corps Recruiting won first place. The Army Air Corps poster is among Binder's best-known works. He created memorable advertisements and posters for A&P Coffee and Jantzen Swimsuits. Binder's last commercial client was United Airlines. In 1957 he designed a set of eight travel posters for them. The posters depicted destinations served by the airline including Chicago, Colorado, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The design for the Washington, D.C. poster is striking in its dramatic perspective of the Lincoln Memorial. == Design theories and writing ==

Colour in Advertising In the early 1930s, between lecture tours in the United States, Binder recorded his theories in Colour in Advertising. The book was published in English by the Studio Publications in 1934. It is composed of two parts: an essay on color by Binder and examples of key color concepts illustrated with tipped-in color plates of contemporary poster art. The book begins with the statement "Colour is the poster-painter's chief means of creating effect." This statement holds true in Binder's own work, as well as his assertion that that color harmony must be a harmony of contrasts if a poster is to hold the viewer's attention. Binder advises designers to consider color's physical and psychological factors. Citing Newton and Goethe, he suggests that the optical illusion of an afterimage shows that the eye is capable of producing color on its own and this connects to "our innermost human disposition. We need green to free ourselves from red. We need yellow to counterbalance blue." Regarding the psychological effects of color, Binder forwards the idea that changing the natural colors of objects, if done carefully, can create an element of surprise. Binder offers his work for Arabia coffee as a case study in the practical application of color. Taking a comprehensive approach to what is now called brand design, he advocates for a consistent use of color across letterhead, brochures, posters, packaging, employee uniforms and retail architecture. "If other colors are used," he cautions, "then they must never play the most important part." The second section of the book contains examples of posters by his contemporaries, including E. McKnight Kauffer, Charles Loupot, Kató Lukáts and Hanns Wagula. The posters illustrate concepts including the use of color to create mood, historical atmosphere, a sense of style or the illusion of depth. Other writings Binder articulated his thoughts on modern design in "On Developing the Present-Day Style," a 1936 article he wrote for the American Magazine of Art. In it Binder set forth his argument for a new approach based on his conviction that design should reflect the spirit of the twentieth century with art that is "constructive, functional, and dynamic." He viewed realism as the domain of photography and urged designers to "abandon realistic representation and take up stylizing." Stylizing, as defined by Binder, consisted of abstracting forms from nature, simplification of objects and striking applications of color. The article was illustrated with examples of work from students he had tutored while in Chicago, Los Angeles and Minneapolis. == Later years ==

Binder retired in 1963 and turned his focus to painting. He had studied painting at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts and always considered himself a painter first and foremost. The nonobjective paintings he created were distinguished by their vibrant color fields. His work was displayed in exhibitions at galleries and museums, including the MoMA in New York and the Museum of Applied Art (MAK) in Vienna. On June 25, 1972, Binder died of a heart attack while installing an exhibition of his paintings in Vienna. == Legacy ==

Alongside other European designers such as Lucien Bernhard, Binder introduced the concepts of European modernism to post-war American designers including Paul Rand and Lester Beall. As a founding member of Design Austria, the country's national design association, his legacy continues through the biennial Joseph Binder Award. The Joseph Binder Award is an international competition for graphic design and illustration. The award is funded by interest from Binder's estate. == Awards and honors ==

Binder won numerous poster design competitions and had his work published in major design publications. His posters and paintings are held in museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Smithsonian and the Museum of Applied Art (MAK). Some of his honors include: • Honorary Professorship awarded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education and Art, 1952 • Honorary member BOEG (Society of graphic designers), 1952 • Admitted to Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), 1954 • City of Vienna's Honorary Medal in Gold, 1969 • American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Medalist, 2004 == References ==