ANTON STANKOWSKI (1906-1998) ZÜRCHER BRECHKOKS. 1933. 50 1/4x35 1/2 inches, 127 1/2x90 1/4 cm. J.C. Müller, Zurich. Condition A-: offsetting in lower text; minor creases in margins and image. Paper. Stankowski studied at the Folkwangschule in Westphalia, where he learned about functional graphic design and corporate identity. In Switzerland in the late 1920s, he collaborated with Herbert Matter, Max Bill and others, and began to explore Constructivism and Bauhaus tenets. Focusing on photography and photomontage, he developed his own Constructivist graphic style and ultimately derived his own Theory of Design. His functional graphic design was highly acclaimed, leading him to create the "visual layout" for the city of Berlin, take on a position as Chairman of the Visual Design Committee for the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, and as a designer for several major companies such as IBM. He is acknowledged as one of the most important German graphic designers of the 20th century. He left Switzerland in 1934 to return to Germany. This poster is typical of his Swiss period: a photographic image, spectacularly laid-out and clear, but without overly rigid typography. Stankowski p. 53, Fotoplakate 61, Werbestil p. 162.
