Engaging the Past

Elaine Lustig Cohen

Problem: How do you engage the past by showcasing an artist's body of work in a motion piece while keeping the style and integrity of the work.

Solution: I made selections from Elaine Lustig Cohen's book covers that contained similar color schemes and font uses, so I could make a clear connection between the pieces along with showing her design progression through time.

We we were inspired to emulate the work of an artist in The Cary Graphics Arts Collection at Rochester Institute of Technology. My selection with graphic designer Elaine Lustig Cohen who was famous for her unique book cover. This project was part of Design Praxis II (VCDE-726) Visual Communication Design.

Book covers edited in Adobe Photoshop; Book cover re-creation and topography developed in Adobe Illustrator; Animation designed in Adobe After Effects

Photos provided by the Cary Graphic Arts Collection

RIT Libraries. “Search Results for Elaine Lustig Cohen” Digital Collections. Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester, NY. Accessed November 15, 2020. https://digitalcollections.rit.edu/luna/servlet/s/93s73w

Presentation

Purpose

Elaine Lustig Cohen (1927–2016) is a incredible designer and her transcending book covers designs pushed the industry to new territories.

Intention: Evoke an emotional reaction by bringing her book covers to life. A kinetic typographic animation would showcase her dynamic use of type. In many of her covers she used a muted purple paired with black and/or tan and sometimes an accent red. Choosing a variety of those covers with this color scheme would make for a cohesive narrative.

Audience: Typographers, Designers, Feminists, People interested in graphic design history, Appreciators of female graphic designers