I Heart Design

no. 9

SELECTED BYSEYMOUR CHWASTCRAVEN “A” CIGARETTES POSTERDESIGNED BYACHILLE MAUZAN

Achille Mauzan (1883–1952) worked in Milan, Paris, and Buenos Aires. His fame as a poster designer never achieved the level of Cassandre or Hollwein, which may be due to the humor in his vast body of work. I relate to that humor but also to his ideas, use of color, and sense of scale. This image employed repetition and the abstract elements of a contemporary painting. Added to his design sense is his impeccable drawing skill: confident, forceful, and animated. There is nothing arty in his posters with the in-your-face, sans-serif typography. His work fits the art deco criteria, but it also includes the spirit of surrealism, futurism, and Dada. Unlike painting, ...