Saul Bass

Where the legend begins:

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​As most great historians would do with significant historical events, one has to look at the context surrounding a great movement to truly understand why things happen the way they do. This is no different when it comes to great revolutionaries of their time, and provided the subject matter of this website, that great revolutionary is Saul Bass. While noticeable in appearance, his work as a graphic designer has stood the test the time for its equally noticeable appearance. Born of Eastern Europe immigrants, Bass spent his early years in one of the corners of the most significant hub in the world, Bronx, New York. Growing up, Saul Bass had an affinity for the world of art which is made apparent from his unconventional education. While many would expect young individuals to attend typical public/private schools for secondary school, Bass spent latter part of his education years being a fellow for the Art Students League in Manhattan starting at the age of 16. In the years that followed his time as a fellow, Bass attended the Brooklyn College where he continued to acquire knowledge along with other famous designers like Gyorgy Kepes.

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His Career:

In the years following his education, Bass would move to Los Angeles, California where he make leaps in bounds in the art style that would define his career. Initially a freelancer, Bass would go on to being offered jobs and contracts by famous filmmakers of his time. While not as much of a trend as it once was, Saul Bass made significant contributions to the film industry through the creation of intriguing title sequences and opening credits. Under Saul's graphic design supervision, title sequences would make a transition from static opening credits to dynamic credits that were complemented by impactful audio. Perhaps the most significant design to be brought forth by this transition is the creation of title sequence for the film, The Man with the Golden Arm, which can be viewed below. Along with this work of art, another example of Bass' contribution to title sequences can be seen in the opening sequence of the well-known movie, Psycho.

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Beyond his contributions to the film industry, Saul Bass would go on to create many timeless company logos. These logos include ones for AT&T, Bell Telephone Company (predecessor to AT&T), Girl Scouts, Quaker Oats, and Kleenex. All of these logos, which can be found below, represent an extensive and diverse portfolio that show the creative talents of Saul Bass. Some of these logos may have changed over time, but the essence of them are rooted in the creative facilities of Bass.

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The Methodology:

From a brief glance, the title sequences and logos listed below provide us with an insight into Bass' approach to design. In short, this process is rooted in simplicity through color choice as well as font, namely the lack of text. When it comes to color scheme, Bass' creations rely heavily on one or two vivid colors. Along with vivid colors, Bass implements contrast through negative space that is represented by open white space in his logos. Outside of color and space, Bass emphasizes image graphic design over typography in his logos and when there is text, it is stylistic distinguishable in itself.

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Impact:

Overall, Saul Bass' artwork fits into the modern aesthetic that was coming about in the twentieth century. More specifically, Bass' emphasis on vivid colors and minimalistic yet detailed designs fed the artistic movement of the simplification of art. While the text used in his design does always reflect the simplicity brought about by this movement (as seen by the Kleenex logo), some designs implemented simple sans-serifed fonts that supported the desire for easy to read information. Additionally the basic geometric shapes utilized continue to convey emotion and brand recognition that promote a sense of a deeper meaning despite its initial simple, eye-catching design.