Strong profile of Dwiggins as the terminological architect of graphic design. The fact that his diabetes diagnosis pushed him away from "banal advertising" toward book design captures that tension between commercial survival and creative autonomy. I like how the piece connects his ornamental approach to Art Deco and Oriental influences without over-romanticizing it. Also, the multitude of titles pre-Dwiggins speaks to how fragmented teh field was before anyone bothered naming it properly.
Strong profile of Dwiggins as the terminological architect of graphic design. The fact that his diabetes diagnosis pushed him away from "banal advertising" toward book design captures that tension between commercial survival and creative autonomy. I like how the piece connects his ornamental approach to Art Deco and Oriental influences without over-romanticizing it. Also, the multitude of titles pre-Dwiggins speaks to how fragmented teh field was before anyone bothered naming it properly.