fb pixcode

GRAPHIC DESIGN

PUBLISHER
Letterform Archive Books

BOOK FORMAT
Paperback, 7.5 x 10.5 in. / 432 pgs / 300 color / 50 bw.

PUBLISHING STATUS
Pub Date
Active

DISTRIBUTION
D.A.P. Exclusive
Catalog: FALL 2023 p. 41   

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN 9781736863343 TRADE
List Price: $60.00 CAD $87.00 GBP £54.00

AVAILABILITY
In stock

TERRITORY
WORLD

THE FALL 2024 ARTBOOK | D.A.P. CATALOG

Artbook | D.A.P. Catalog Cover Link
Preview our FALL 2024 catalog, featuring more than 500 new books on art, photography, design, architecture, film, music and visual culture.
  

LETTERFORM ARCHIVE BOOKS

The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan, 1928–1930

Edited with text by Gennifer Weisenfeld.

The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan, 1928–1930

A revelatory, beautifully produced compendium of the influential Japanese commercial design journal, with posters, billboards, shop window displays and more

From 1928 to 1930, Tokyo publisher Ars issued The Complete Commercial Artist: a fully illustrated journal of commercial design for both commercial retail spaces and print design. Featuring countless original designs, its 24 volumes were dedicated to topics ranging from posters, packaging, flyers, page layout and typography to neon signage, billboards and shop window displays. Under the guidance of lead editor and writer Hamada Masuji, a passionate advocate for commercial design, the publication became the most important—and visually dazzling—document of Japanese design in its time.
This generous volume from Letterform Archive Books shares hundreds of exuberant and whimsical pages from all 24 volumes of the now-rare publication. An extensive historical essay and volume-by-volume walk-throughs by art historian Gennifer Weisenfeld introduce readers to the magazine's creators and offer analyses of their use of illustration, photography, typography and lettering, highlighting both Japanese and European influences as new forms of media sparked a global dialogue.
Presented for the first time to an English audience, The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan 1928–1930 takes readers on an eye-opening tour of interwar Japan's vibrant visual culture.


PRAISE AND REVIEWS

PRINT

Steven Heller

The holy grail of graphic design artifacts representing the art deco, or Moderne, period.... When comparing this new version to the original, the printing is so precise it’s impossible to tell which is which.... An informative introductory essay by Gennifer Weisenfeld both explains the role of the commercial artist in Japanese culture and contextualizes graphic style in the critical post-World War I Europe era.... A must for every design library.

typeroom

This is a priceless treasure of imagery, visual stimuli and inspiration.

Creative Review

Sophie Tolhurst

An encyclopedic view of the period. The book frames 'The Complete Commercial Artist''s function as not just a document, but an argument for designs' future... reintroducing an underappreciated moment in global design history.

Inspiration Grid

Far more than a simple reprint, the book is a fascinating read, delving deeply into this unique collection that has long been overlooked in the annals of design history. Through meticulous research, art historian Gennifer Weisenfeld provides a comprehensive historical overview and detailed analysis of each volume, accompanied by a plethora of beautifully reproduced full-color images....For anyone interested in the history of design, commercial art, or Japanese culture in general, Letterform Archive’s latest publication is a fantastic resource.

It's Nice That

Olivia Hingley

It’s as visually pleasing as it is informative, with displays of burgeoning modernist and avant-garde styles alongside detailed historical analysis.

The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan, 1928–1930

in stock  $60.00


Free Shipping

UPS GROUND IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S.
FOR CONSUMER ONLINE ORDERS

FROM THE ARTBOOK BLOG

CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 3/7/2024

Letterform Archive Press presents 'The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan, 1928–1930' with Gennifer Weisenfeld

Letterform Archive Press presents 'The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan, 1928–1930' with Gennifer Weisenfeld

Thursday, March 7, from 6–7:30 PM, Letterform Archive Press presents The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan, 1928–1930 author Gennifer Weisenfeld in conversation with Letterform editor Chris Westcott. Weisenfeld will share art from the original volumes and explore the global exchange of ideas and practices that informed designers’ new approaches to lettering, illustration, design and display.
continue to blog


FORTHCOMING AND NEW: DESIGN AND DECORATIVE ARTS

Propagandopolis

PROPAGANDOPOLIS

FUEL

ISBN: 9781739887858
USD $32.95
| CAD $47.95

Pub Date: 11/19/2024
Active | In stock


NKF: Piet Zwart’s Avant-Garde Catalog for Standard Cables

NKF: PIET ZWART’S AVANT-GARDE CATALOG FOR STANDARD CABLES

Letterform Archive Books

ISBN: 9798989142316
USD $60.00
| CAD $87.5 UK £ 52

Pub Date: 11/12/2024
Active | In stock


Lucian Bernhard

LUCIAN BERNHARD

KANT

ISBN: 9788074374135
USD $75.00
| CAD $115

Pub Date: 11/12/2024
Active | In stock


W. A. Dwiggins: A Life in Design

W. A. DWIGGINS: A LIFE IN DESIGN

Letterform Archive Books

ISBN: 9780998318004
USD $60.00
| CAD $87.5 UK £ 52

Pub Date: 1/28/2025
Forthcoming


Type by Lucian Bernhard

TYPE BY LUCIAN BERNHARD

Letterform Archive Books

ISBN: 9798989142330
USD $55.00
| CAD $79 UK £ 50

Pub Date: 1/28/2025
Forthcoming


Type by Aldo Novarese

TYPE BY ALDO NOVARESE

Letterform Archive Books

ISBN: 9798989142354
USD $55.00
| CAD $79 UK £ 50

Pub Date: 1/28/2025
Forthcoming


Type by Roger Excoffon

TYPE BY ROGER EXCOFFON

Letterform Archive Books

ISBN: 9798989142347
USD $55.00
| CAD $79 UK £ 50

Pub Date: 1/28/2025
Forthcoming


Emigre Fonts: Type Specimens 1986–2024

EMIGRE FONTS: TYPE SPECIMENS 1986–2024

Letterform Archive Books

ISBN: 9798989142361
USD $75.00
| CAD $115 UK £ 65

Pub Date: 1/28/2025
Forthcoming


Armando Testa

ARMANDO TESTA

Silvana Editoriale

ISBN: 9788836657704
USD $40.00
| CAD $58

Pub Date: 10/15/2024
Active | In stock


Gert Dumbar: Maverick Gentleman of Dutch Design

GERT DUMBAR: MAVERICK GENTLEMAN OF DUTCH DESIGN

Valiz

ISBN: 9789493246331
USD $40.00
| CAD $58

Pub Date: 12/31/2024
Forthcoming


Audio Erotica

AUDIO EROTICA

FUEL

ISBN: 9781739887810
USD $34.95
| CAD $49.95

Pub Date: 4/16/2024
Active | Out of stock


Triennale: One Hundred Years of Posters

TRIENNALE: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF POSTERS

Marsilio Arte

ISBN: 9791254631591
USD $35.00
| CAD $50 UK £ 30

Pub Date: 6/4/2024
Active | Out of stock