Steven Heller, (born 1950),
American
art director, journalist, critic,
author, and editor who
specializes on topics related to graphic
design.
Steven Heller is author and co-author of many works on the history
of
illustration,
typography, and many subjects related to
graphic design. More than eighty titles and a
vast number of magazine articles attest to his productive and
thoughtful output. He has written articles for
Affiche,
Baseline,
Creation,
Design,
Design Issues,
Eye,
Graphis,
How,
I.D.,
Oxymoron,
Mother
Jones,
The
New York Times Book Review,
Print,
Speak, and
U&lc magazines.
For thirty-three years Heller was a senior art director of
U&lc, which stands for upper and lower case in
typography.
Currently, he is co-chair with Lita Talarico
of the MFA Designer as Author program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
. He has collaborated on books with graphic
designer, Louise Fili, who is his wife, as well as with others
including the Design Dialogue series.
Works
- "Artists' Christmas Cards" New York: A & W Publishers,
1979.
- (Editor) Man Bites Man, foreword by Tom Wolfe, New York: A & W Publishers,
1981.
- (Editor) Jules Feiffer's America from Eisenhower to
Reagan, New York: Knopf, 1982.
- (With Ralph E. Shikes) The Art of Satire: Painters as
Caricaturists and Cartoonists from Delacroix to Picasso, New
York: Pratt Graphics Center and Horizon, 1984.
- (Editor) Seymour Chwast, The
Left-handed Designer, New York: Abrams, 1985, revised as
- (With Seymour Chwast) Graphic
Style: From Victorian to Digital, , New York: Abrams,
2001.
- (Editor) Innovators of American Illustration, New
York: Van Nostrand, 1986.
- (Compiler, with Seymour Chwast
and Barbara Cohen) New York Observed: Artists and Writers Look
at the City, 1650 to the Present, New York: Abrams, 1987.
- (With Lisa Talarico) Design Career: Practical Knowledge for
Beginning Illustrators and Graphic Designers, New York: Van
Nostrand, 1987.
- (With Seymour Chwast) Graphic
Style: From Victorian to Post-Modern, New York: Abrams,
1988.
- (Editor, with Seymour Chwast)
Sourcebook of Visual Ideas, New York: Van Nostrand,
1989.
- (With Barbara Cohen and Seymour
Chwast) Trylon and Perisphere: The 1939 New York World's
Fair, New York: Abrams, 1989.
- (With Karen Pomeroy) Designing with Illustration, New
York: Van Nostrand, 1990.
- (With Anne Fink) Low-Budget, High-Quality Design, New
York: Watson-Guptill, 1990.
- (With Gail Anderson) Graphic Wit: The Art of Humor in
Design, New York: Watson-Guptill, 1991.
- (With Karrie Jacobs) Angry Graphics: Protest Posters of the
Reagan/Bush Era, Salt Lake City, Utah: Peregrine Smith Books,
1992.
- (With Vicki Gold Levi and Seymour
Chwast) You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby: Baby Pictures
of the Stars, New York: Hyperion, 1992.
- (With Gail Anderson) The Savage Mirror: The Art of
Contemporary Caricature, New York: Watson-Guptill, 1992.
- (With Steven Guarnaccia) School Days, Photography by
William Whitehurst, New York: Abbeville Press, 1992.
- (Compiler, with Anne Fink) Covers & Jackets!
What the Best Dressed Books and Magazines Are Wearing,
Glen Cover, New York: Library of Applied Design, 1993.
- (With Louise Fili) Italian Art Deco: Graphic Design Between
the Wars, San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1993.
- (With Julie Lasky) Borrowed Design: Use and Abuse of
Historical Form, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1993.
- (With Gail Anderson) American Typeplay, New York:
Library of Applied Design, 1994.
- (With Steven Guarnaccia) Designing for Children, New
York: Watson-Guptill, 1994.
- (With Louise Fili) Dutch Moderne: Graphic Design from De
Stijl to Deco, San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1994.
- (Editor with Michael Bierut,
William Drenttel, and D. K.
Holland) Looking Closer: Critical Writings on Graphic
Design, New York, 1994.
- (With Teresa Fernandes) The Business of Illustration,
New York: Watson-Guptill, 1995.
- (With Seymour Chwast) Jackets
Required: An Illustrated History of American Book Jacket Design,
1920–1950, San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1995.
- (With Louise Fili) Streamline: American Art Deco Graphic
Design, San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1995.
- (With Anne Fink) That's Entertainment, Library of Applied
Design, 1995.
- (With James Fraser and Seymour
Chwast) Japanese Modern: Graphic Design Between the
Wars, San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1996.
- (With Anne Fink) Appetite Appeal: Graphic Design for Food
and Drink, Glen Cove, New York: Graphic Details, 1996.
- (With Louise Fili) Cover Story: The Art of American
Magazine Covers 1900–1950, San Francisco: Chronicle Books (San
Francisco, California), 1996.
- (With Teresa Fernandes) Magazines: Inside and Out,
Glen Cove, New York.: PBC International, 1996.
- (With Elinor Pettit) Newsletters Now: From Classic to New
Wave, New York: Library of Applied Design, 1996.
- (Editor with Michael Bierut,
William Drenttel, and D. K.
Holland) Looking Closer 2, New York: Allworth Press,
1997.
- French Modern: Art Deco Graphic Design, San Francisco:
Chronicle Books, 1997.
- (Editor, with Marie Finamore) Design Culture: An Anthology
of Writing from the AIGA Journal of Graphic Design, 'New York:
Allworth Press, 1997.
- (Interviewer and editor, with Elinor Pettit) Design
Dialogues, New York: Allworth Press, 1998.
- (Editor) The Education of a Graphic Designer, New
York: Allworth Press, 1998.
- (With Michael Barson) Teenage Confidential: An Illustrated
History of the American Teen, San Francisco: Chronicle Books,
1998.
- (With Louise Fili) British Modern: Graphic Design Between
the Wars, San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1998.
- (With Louise Fili) German Modern: Graphic Design from
Wilhelm to Weimar, San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1998.
- (With Anne Fink) Less Is More: The New Simplicity in
Graphic Design, Cincinnati, Ohio: North Light Books,
1999.
- Paul Rand, London: Phaidon,
1999.
- Design Literacy: Understanding Graphic Design, New
York: Allworth Press, 1999.
- (With Teresa Fernandes) Becoming a Graphic Designer: A
Guide to Careers in Design, New York: Wiley, 1999.
- (Editor with Louise Fili) Typology: Type Design from the
Victorian Era to the Digital Age, San Francisco: Chronicle
Books, 1999.
- (Editor, with Marshall Arisman) The Education of an
Illustrator, New York: Allworth Press, 2000.
- (Editor, with Michael Bierut,
Jessica Helfand, and Rick Poynor) Looking Closer 3: Classic
Writings on Graphic Design, New York: Allworth Press,
2000.
- (Editor) Sex Appeal: The Art of Allure in Graphic and
Advertising Design, New York: Allworth Press, 2000.
- (With Michael Barson) Red Scared!: The Commie Menace in
Propaganda and Pop Culture, San Francisco: Chronicle Books,
2000.
- (With Michael Barson) Wedding Bell Blues: 100 Years of Our
Great Romance with Marriage, San Francisco: Chronicle Books,
2000.
- The Swastika: Symbol Beyond
Redemption?, Allworth Press, 2000.

- Design Connoisseur: An Eclectic Collection of Imagery and
Type, New York: Allworth Press, 2000.
- (With Elinor Pettit) Graphic Design Time Line: A Century of
Design Milestones, New York: Allworth Press, 2000.
- (With Christine Thompson) Letterforms Bawdy, Bad and
Beautiful: The Evolution of Hand-drawn, Humorous, Vernacular, and
Experimental Type, New York: Watson-Guptill, 2000.
- (Editor, with Georgette Ballance) Graphic Design
History, New York: Allworth Press, 2001.
- (With Mirko Ilić) Genius
Moves: 100 Icons of Graphic Design, Cincinnati, Ohio: North
Light Books, 2001.
- (Editor) Education of an E-Designer, New York:
Allworth Press, 2001.
- (Editor, with Philip B. Meggs) Texts on Type: Critical Writings
on Typography, New York: Allworth Press, 2001.
- (With Louise Fili) Counter Culture: The Allure of
Mini-mannequins, New York: Princeton Architectural Press,
2001.
- Graphic Design Reader, New York: Allworth Press,
2002.
- (Editor with Michael Bierut and
William Drenttel) Looking
Closer 4: Critical Writings on Graphic Design, New York:
Allworth Press, 2002.
- (Editor) Education of a Design Entrepreneur, New York:
Allworth Press, 2002.
- Merz to Emigre and Beyond:
Avant-Garde Magazine Design of the Twentieth Century, Phaidon,
2003.
- Also contributor to Graphic Design in America: A Visual
Language History, Minneapolis: Walker Art Center, 1989. Editor
of the American Institute of Graphic Arts Journal of Graphic
Design. Contributor to periodicals, including
Communication Arts, Mother Jones, and Print.
- Iron Fists: Branding the 20th-Century Totalitarian
State, Phaidon Press Inc., 2008.
(ISBN 0714848468). Review at New York
Times.
- (with Lita Talarico) "The Design Entrepreneur" Rockport Press
2008.
- (Editor) "Design Disasters: Great Designers, Fabulous Failure,
and Lessons Learned" New York: Allworth Press, 2008.
- (with Veronique Vienne) "Art Direction Explained At Last"
London: Laurence King Publishers, 2009.
- (with Lita Talarico) "Design School Confidential: Extraordinary
Class Projects from International Design Schools" Rockport Pres,
2009.
Articles appearing in Baseline magazine
- Paul Rand Laboratory,
Baseline
27, edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 1999.
- Believe It or Else!!, Baseline 29,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 1999.
- Sho-cards, Baseline 30,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2000.
- Transfiguring the Swastika,
Baseline
31, edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2001.
- Movie tickets – Japanese Style, Baseline 32,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2001.
- The Radical Press in Pre-Nazi Germany, Baseline 33,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2001.
- Do It Yourself: The Graphic Design of Punkzines,
Baseline
34, edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2001.
- More Than Wham! Bang! Boom!: The Art and
Design of Comics Lettering, Baseline 35,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2001.
- Close Shaves and Razor Sharp Graphics, Baseline 36,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2002.
- Massin's Typographic Voices, Baseline 37,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2002.
- Introducing the First Digital Letterting Tool,
Baseline
38, edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2002.
- Cult of the Cradle – Fascist Style for Il Duce's
Children, Baseline 39,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2002.
- The Missing Link: Graphic Design Trade Magazine,
Baseline
40, edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2003.
- Paper Bombs – The Art of Psychological Warfare,
Baseline
41, edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2003.
- Merle Armitage – Books of His Time, Baseline 42,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2003.
- When Paperbacks Went
Highbrow, Baseline 43,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2004.
- Alvin Lustig – The Lost Adman
and His Forgotten Ads, Baseline 44,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2004.
- Rudolph de Harak – A Playful Modernist, Baseline 45,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2004.
- Erik Nitsche – A Biography of a Design Auteur,
Baseline
46, edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2005.
- OHW Hadank – The Classicist Even
a Modernist Could Love, Baseline 47,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2005.
- Dancing Type and Music Videos, Baseline 48,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2005.
- Willhelm Deffke – Modern Mark Maker, Baseline 49,
edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2006.
- TypoAbsurdo – Viktor Koen's Surrealist Alphabet,
Baseline
50, edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne
Publishing, 2006.
- Berthold's Hebrew Type
Catalog, Baseline 51,
edited by Hans Dieter Reichert, Bradbourne Publishing, 2007.
Exhibitions (as curator)
- The Art of Simplicisimus (The Goethe House)
- The Malik Verlag (The Goethe House)
- Political Art: Ten Years of Graphic Commentary (AIGA)
- L'Assiette au Beurre (The French Institute)
- Cartoonists for a Nuclear Freeze (Marymount College)
- The Art of Satire (Pratt Graphic Center)
- Graphic Jesters: Two Generations (Schiller Wapner Gallery)
- Art
Against War (Parsons School of Design
)
- Typographic Treasures: The Work of W.A. Dwiggins
(ITC Gallery)
- Push
Pin Studio Retrospecitive (Cooper Union
)
Introductions and afterwords
- AIGA Graphic Design in America 4 - 16
(Watson Guptil)
- Political Art (Abbeville)
- Great Illustrators of Our Times (Rizzolli)
- A Treasury of German Trademarks (Art Direction)
- Graphis Annual Graphis Posters Stars and Stripes
(Chronicle)
- Trademarks of the 40s and 50s (Chronicle)
- Caricatures of Tullio Pericoli (Prestel Verlag)
- Great Posters of the World (Kadansha)
- IGOGRADA (Kadansha)
- Visual Literacy (Watson Guptil)
- Graphic Design in America (Walker Art Center/Abrams)
- The Art of Leo Lionni (Library of Congress)
- Graphic Design U.S.A. Nos. 5 - 17 (AIGA/Watson Guptil)
- Who's Who in Graphic Design (Benteli Werd Verlags)
- American Pop (Alianza Editorial)
- Posters of Rafal Oblinski (Abrams)
- Masters of Polish Posters (Berni)
- American Typography of the Fifties and Sixties (GGG Gallery,
Japan)
- Brad Holland (The Swiss Art Director's Club)
- Seymour Chwast (GGG Gallery)
- The Face of Seymour Chwast (SVA
Masters)
- Illustration U.S.A. (Rockport)
- Robert Weaver Retrospective (SVA Masters)
- SVA Gold (PBC International)
- Italian Graphic Design (Alianza Editorial)
- Professional PRactices in Graphic Design (Allworth Press)
- Tibor Kalman (Booth Clibborn
Editions)
- Rebelling Against Rockwell (Pictures for the American People)
(High Museum of Art)
- Barbara Kruger: Graphic Designer
(LAMoCA)
- Alex Steinweiss (Princeton Architectural Press)
- Masters of Twentieth Century Design: The ICOGRADA Hall of Fame
(Graphis Press)
- Zanders 2001 Calendar (Zanders Paper)
- 2001 Antiwall Calendar/Belgrade Masters of Twentieth Century
Design (Graphis Press)
- The Graphic Art of Michael Schwab (Graphis Press)
- What is Design…? (Metropolis/Princeton Architectural
Press)
- Keith Goddard (Lars Muller Verlag)
- The Art of Fred Marcellino (Norman
Rockwell Museum)
- Sencational (Princeton Architectural Press)
- Ads of the 60s (Taschen Books)
- Ads of the 30s (Taschen Books)
- 10 Years of Chrysler Awards (Chrysler Awards)
- Illustration 44 (essay on Milton Glaser) (Society of
Illustrators)
- Armin Hofmann (Lars Muller
Verlag)
- Artburn by Robbie Conal (RDV Books)
- Victor Moscoso (Moscoso)
- Ads of the 70s (Taschen Books)
- Graphic Design (Gallimard)
- Ads of the 20s (Taschen)
- Men's Magazines (Taschen)
- The Mischievous Art of Jim Flora (Fantagraphics)
- Ads of the 80s (Taschen)
- Art of Der Spiegel (Te Neues)
- Design of Dissent (Rockport)
- D-Day: Émigré (Centre Pompidou)
- Original Cartoons: The Frederator Studios Postcards (Easton
Studio Press)
- Icon: Halloween (Taschen)
- Icon: Christmas (Taschen)
- Ads of 1900-1910 (Taschen)
- Brad Holland (Society of Illustrators Annual)
- Graphic Imperative (Umass)
- Icon: Valentines (Taschen)
- Social Graphics (Andreas Rauch)
See also
References
External links
Resources