Design Works, Ladislav Sutnar Archive

Ladislav Sutnar was a vital force in the creation of modern design in his native Czechoslovakia and in the United States where he lived from 1939 until his death in 1976.
Known primarily for his information graphics, Sutnar in his early career created designs for tablewares and furniture as well as educational toys and textiles. His American work comprised typography, packaging, advertising, and exhibition design. Included in this collection is the prototype book “The World of Shape”, interesting in terms of design process, because even if is a relatively small project for a children’s book, nonetheless reveals Sutnar’s basic approach to informational graphic design which he defined as a synthesis of function, flow, and form.
This collection includes:
– 9-page maquette of booklet w/2 paper dust jackets; “a look/see/discover/book”; page designs done in collage, graphite, color pencils, pen and black ink; most leaves annotated in graphite at lower left corners of rectos a-1 through a-6.
– Design for pages in the above booklet: “World of Shape” maquette on card in collage, white crayon and graphite; in glassine folder w/design for pinwheel logo from title page in red and yellow pencil and graphite.
– “World of Shape” design in graphite w/collage red, white and blue “S” in an orange circle
– Graphite drawing for p. a3/a2 verso; mathematical and size notations in graphite on folded white card stock.
– Graphite sketch and collage maquette for p.a1 and facing page on folded white card stock.
– Maquette of red and yellow pinwheel logo from booklet frontispiece masking taped to an envelope w/corporate ID: “AM Corporation, Cleveland OH”; envelope has Post Office cancellation stamp for Nov.10, 1969 upper right.
– 4 Sketches in colored crayon and graphite on tracing paper for booklet pages.
– Six drawings connected to an exhibition, “Venus: Joy-Art”, of paintings, prototypes of American women in various moods and situations.
– Lay-out for 1961 Sutnar exhibition on large pieced folder sheet of tracing paper.
– Design for “The World of Shape” (booklet cover?) in red, white and blue crayon and graphite on tracing paper mounted on white board.
– Design for “The World of Shape” (booklet cover?) graphite on tracing paper on white board