SELECTED BY
SEYMOUR CHWAST
CRAVEN “A” CIGARETTES POSTER
DESIGNED BY
ACHILLE 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, drawing, and sculpture, which go on forever, poster design depends on a medium that is evolving. Conventional poster design is winding down, but it is a vital art form that must be studied and preserved.