Bass Line

Time spent with the work of design master Saul Bass gives a window into the ever-evolving perception of artists and how their work impacts culture. He speaks of the relatively recent use of the word "designer," to describe professionals referred to in earlier times as a "commercial artists," a title that was in use when I first entertained the idea of a career in art. Back in the olden days of drafting tables, parallels, t-squares, rapidograph pens, x-acto knives and waxers, "commercial art" was the art that you made if you wanted to be paid, as opposed to "fine art." Nowadays, "design" is everywhere, and the title of "designer" has a fair amount of allure, even as the processes employed by the professional are probably still somewhat of a mystery to most. Spending some time to ask both "What?" and "Why?" is always a great place to begin. "What does a designer really do?" "Why create art?," or more specifically for our purposes, "Why work to create great art experiences for a school community?" Now, that's a great question to put on the table!

Here's are some classics Bass bits of storytelling from "Why Man Creates."





Bass himself speaks about the role of the designer working within the commercial realm with great clarity and candor... "I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares... and I'm willing to pay for that..."



If you love movies, you probably know that Saul Bass — Commercial Artist, Graphic Artist, Designer, Filmmaker, whatever the title you choose to use to describe the man — is true to his word.

Just check out this portfolio of his distinct title sequences for the movies to see how deeply Saul Bass has informed our pop culture psyche. http://www.notcoming.com/saulbass/index2.php