Accession Number
2016/2.206

Title
Yale Summer Program in Graphic Design

Artist(s)
Paul Rand

Artist Nationality
American (North American)

Object Creation Date
late 20th century

Medium & Support
offset lithograph on paper

Dimensions
26 in x 11 in (66.04 cm x 27.94 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Franc Nunoo-Quarcoo and Maria Phillips

Subject matter
Paul Rand taught at Yale University from 1956 to 1993. Each of the professors took turns designing the poster for the summer program offered in Switzerland. In Rand’s design, he merges the logo for Yale with the ‘logo’ (i.e., flag) of Switzerland. The serif of the Y becomes one of the cross bars for the Swiss flag. The connotations of the cross adds an extra dimension to the poster. The cross has religious associations, as well as suggestions of dominance and submission, as Rand himself noted. Furthermore, it is reminiscent of the drafting that graphic designers engage in during the creative process. The design not only links institution with location, but also hints at the interplay between concept and execution.

EC 2017

Physical Description
A poster advertising the details of the Yale Summer Program in Graphic Design. The bottom half consists of text describing the program. The top portion features a blue square with a large white "Y" placed diagonally against a red square with a white intersecting lines.

EC 2017

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form. Keywords
flags
graphic design
logos