To the casual outsider, the world of Stefan Sagmeister might seem like a dysfunctional pit of rock n' roll hobnobbing and nudity verging on the edge of what might be considerably more than just bad taste. However, a closer look at the man and the process reveals a sponge-like sensitivity to a variety of disciplines outside of design and a surprisingly regimented methodology of, essentially, creating creativity.
BACKGROUND & WORK
Stefan Sagmeister was born in 1962 in Austria. After completing his studies in Graphic Design at The University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Sagmeister studied at The Pratt Institute in New York City on a Fulbright scholarship. After a brief stint at the Hong Kong office of Leo Burnett, he returned to New York to work at M & Co. with Hungarian designer Tibor Kalman. When the company folded in 1993, Sagmeister formed his own firm, Sagmeister, Inc. Clientele have included AIGA, magazines, fashion designers, perfume manufactures, universities and a whole smattering of musical artists including Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, OK Go, Talking Heads, David Byrne, Aerosmith, Pat Metheny and Brian Eno. (1) He won a Grammy Award for his work on the Talking Heads' box set, "Once In A Lifetime" and continues to design for a wide range of clients. (2)
IRREVERENCE & INGENUITY
The work Stefan Sagmeister has done so far is indeed thought provoking and some has even garnered him a certain amount of celebrity due to its controversial nature. One piece that earned him criticism and (unwanted) praise was an album cover for the hard-core metal band Pro-Pain that featured a simple black and white photograph of a naked autopsied female torso. Sagmeister has indicated that because of the unexpected "positive" reaction from some of the band's fan base, he would probably not design the CD cover the same, given the opportunity. (3)
Pro-Pain The Truth Hurts, 1994 (http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/pro_pain/the_truth_hurts/)
AIGA has commissioned several posters from Sagmeister and they have been equally as provocative as his other work. One poster featured a nude Sagmeister himself with information about a lecture actually carved into his skin, symbolizing the "pain" that comes with the production of each of his design projects. (1)
AIGA Lecture Poster, 1999 (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
An advertisement for a Hong Kong design awards show organized by the Southeast Asia Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies (4A's) further demonstrated Sagmeister's ability to pull inspiration from a variety of sources, utilizing factory painters who created art reproductions and an irreverence that was sure to rankle the generally reserved nature of Asian businesspeople.
Southeast Asia 4A's Design Awards Show, 1992 (http://designmuseum.org/design/stefan-sagmeister)
Since the painters could only reproduce existing art, Sagmeister himself became the model for the "rear view" panel. (3) The above listed designs are some of the more controversial ones that have come out of Sagmeister, Inc. The company has produced a number of more conventional designs, but all have the signature edge that goes along with Stefan Sagmeister's work.
AIGA Biennial Conference, New Orleans, 1997 (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
David Byrne, Feelings, 1997. (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
A UNIQUE WORK FOR A UNIQUE STYLE
Sagmeister, Inc. has become a leader in the creative industry. One of its most fascinating ongoing "projects" is the self-imposed sabbatical Sagmeister has implemented approximately every 7 years, his first in the early 2000's. He is currently taking his sabbatical in Bali. In interviews (5) and on his website, Sagmeister has indicated that the reasons for the sabbaticals are many, but most of all, he found himself coming up with the most creative ideas during periods of rest and that building creative time into your routine is the only way to really ensure that that "down time" will actually happen. The sabbatical periods tend to give way to a whole host of blog-worthy quips, including the title of this article.
Much of Sagmeister's work has featured creative use of typography and his own handwriting has appeared so often that some have remarked it has almost become a typeface of its own. Take for instance a 1996 poster for Lou Reed:
Lou Reed, Set The Twilight Reeling poster, 1996 (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
When asked about the overall "style" of his firm, Sagmeister responded, "For a long time we prided ourselves not to have a style which to uphold became impossible. This is because if you really switch your stylistic approach from project to project, it is impossible to come up with a new one on a weekly or monthly basis, without ripping-off either historical styles or a particular designers' style. Although it would not cover all of our work, I would say we are probably best known for our hand-made quality." (1)
It is this handmade quality and attention to detail that has made Stefan Sagmeister one of the leading designers in America (and certainly in Bali) today. Whether its album covers or tongue-in-cheek posters for stuffy advertising associations, it's easy to see the ingenuity and creativity that has given Sagmeister, Inc. a great measure of success. One can only hope that this year's sabbatical will yield even more interesting and innovative work from Stefan Sagmeister.
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(1) DesignBoom, Stefan Sagmeister Interview, May 23rd, 2006. (http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/sagmeister.html)
(2) Sagmeister, Inc. (http://www.sagmeister.com/), Accessed 11/16/09.
(3) Harper, Laurel. Radical Graphics. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1999.
(4) DesignMuseum, "Stefan Sagmeister." (http://designmuseum.org/design/stefan-sagmeister) Accessed 11/17/09
(5) Heller, Steven. "Stefan Sagmeister: Designer on Sabbatical." Print Magazine, Feb. 2009, p. 34
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