PORTFOLIO
A NEW KIND OF GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE

Paul Rand

2 x 8.5 [folded] to 8.5 x 16 [unfolded] promotional brochure published in advance of the first issue of Zachary and Brodovitch's 'Portfolio.' Printed in three colors with full bleeds and halftone photographic portraits of contributors Giambattista Bodoni, E. McKnight Kauffer, Fernand Leger, David Stone Martin, Herbert Matter, and Paul Rand. Short text descriptions accompany each portrait and provide interesting glimpses into the pre-production development of the legendary magazine.

In the brochure, Fernand Leger is credited with the cover design for the inaugural issue, as well as contributing a portfolio of unpublished paintings. Neither the cover nor the portfolio were ever printed.

Ten of David Stone Martin's album covers were scheduled for full color reproduction. 17 were eventually printed in black and white in a two-page spread.

Herbert Matter was slated to contribute "an interesting photographic series on Women, chiefly nudes, with stress on movement and texture." This series never made it into the magazine.

And Paul Rand is credited "with the layout of this brochure, and Portfolio's trade mark and letterhead . . ."

In Steven Heller mononograph PAUL RAND [Phaidon, 1999], the author quotes Frank Zachary as saying that Rand designed the most beautiful letterhead and promotional brochure that he had ever seen (which are now lost) . . . [p. 90]

A rare, perhaps singular, piece of American Graphic Design history.

Alexey Brodovitch (1898-1971) is a legend in graphic design: during his 25-year tenure as art director of Harper's Bazaar, he exerted tremendous influence on the direction of design and photography. A passionate teacher of graphic design, advocate of photography and collaborator with many prominent photographers, Brodovitch is often credited with having a major influence on the acceptance of European modernism in America. 'Portfolio' is considered Brodovitch's greatest achievement-- although short-lived, the magazine captured the dynamic work of some of his emerging star students from his famous Design Laboratory, including Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Art Kane.

The list of contents and contributors for Portfolio magazine reads like a guest list at some great event hosted by an enlightened art patron. "Producing a magazine is not unlike giving a party -- the editor-in-chief has to be a good master of ceremonies." according to Frank Zachary.

Like Brodovitch, Zachary likened publication design to cinematography, where the pacing of visual sequences plays an important role. Art directing and editing are one and the same thing -- you have to keep your eye on both the visual and verbal narration line. "You have to tell two stories, one in words, one in pictures, completely separate -- but like railroad track, leading to the same place." Zachary recounted to Martin Pedersen in Graphis Publications [Zurich, Graphis Press Corp., 1992].

"Paul didn't think much of magazine design, and he himself was incapable of it," according to Zachary. "when I was editing 'Portfolio' I asked Paul to do something in the way of a format, and he just couldn't do it."

Price: $1000.00
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