The Visual Artworker: University Gallery

"Bob Dylan" by

Milton Glaser

" The Posters"

RIT University Gallery

Vignelli Center for Design Studies

through February 26, 2016

Past and future are the real subjects of shows in my local area, hosted by my college (College of Imaging Arts & Sciences) at R.I.T.. Not enough of the public gets out to see the shows held at The University Gallery where the Milton Glaser exhibition is currently on view, but I do see good size crowds for the openings at Gallery r over on College Avenue. Part of this is the location, The University Gallery is on the campus of R.I.T. -- and part of this has to do with advertising or the lack of it. More people need to come out and see what is on view, and the Milton Glaser posters which are part of the archive of materials given to R.I.T. through the generosity of Massimo and Lella Vignelli, are memorable to say the least.

In the 1980's I worked as an artist on number of Vignelli designed books for a company that was then called Chanticleer. I worked within the parameters set by the Vignelli team for the guide books that were sold through the publisher Knopf. While Massimo was still alive, I had a chance to speak with him and our Graphic Design program at R.I.T. is richer because of their great legacy that our students can study first hand. This would not have come about had it not been for the leadership of Roger Remington, my esteemed colleague at R.I.T. Hats off to them!

Recent poster by Milton Glaser

"Cooperstown Music Festival"

Years ago, my father - Arthur Singer, told me that when he was a college art teacher at The Cooper Union in New York City, Milton Glaser was one of his most gifted students. Glaser, soon after his graduation created a design company of his own called Push Pin Studios and this began a decades long career that created a particular niche within the art and design world and he had a strong effect on what we see around us. He designed the world famous logo, below, for New York.

Milton Glaser was also a student of the great Italian painter Giorgio Morandi, and this must have had a life long effect on the up and coming designer. Milton Glaser may have also developed an interest in food and cuisine while in Italy, and he later formed a triumvirate called "Beard,Glaser, & Wolf, dedicated to restaurant design and publishing projects including the "Big Kitchen" in the twin towers of the World Trade Center when it opened in the mid- 1970's. I saw this in the early stages when my wife Anna worked there to open part of this large food court. Now forty five years later, Milton Glaser is still working, and we get to see a collection of some of his most famous posters through February 26, 2016.

James Beard poster by Milton Glaser

Over on College Avenue a new show arrives at Gallery r called "Delving In - Research & Creativity in CIAS" and it will open Friday, February 5th, and run through the month of February, 2016. I have a print in this exhibition which I call "New Fireworks", and I will also have a presentation of my research that shows the connections between art and mathematics. The premise of this new show is to give the public an idea of what faculty and student representatives are doing in their respective areas of interest. You will be surprised to see the many connections being found that point towards the future in the visual arts today!