Tom Eckersley: A Mid-century Modern Master

Description

Tom Eckersley (1914-1997) was an English poster artist and design teacher, and part of the 'outsider' generation that transformed graphic design in Britain in the mid-century era. As a graphic designer and poster artist, he was at the forefront of the explosion of print culture in Britain during the 20th century. He is best known for his posters, which used bold, bright colours and flat graphic shapes to convey their message in a simple and effective way. His design work spans WWII and the decades following, and his impressive client list includes the BBC, Ministry of Information, British Rail, the Post Office, Guinness, Keep Britain Tidy, London Transport, Imperial War Museum, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Gilette, Ealing Films, Shell and BP. The book is packed with Eckersley's instantly recognisable, bright and colourful posters. Design writer Paul Rennie gives an overview of his career and explains the impact Eckersley's work had - and continues to have - on graphic design today.

Paul Rennie is course leader of the Graphic Design Communication course at Central Saint Martins. He is the author of Modern British Posters (Black Dog, 2010) and runs Rennies Seaside Modern in Folkestone, Kent, a shop that specialises in British 20th-century art and design.

'With designs dating from the 1930s to the 1980s, it is as much a picture of a changing Britain ... as a song of praise to Eckersley's ticklish wit and visual ingenuity' -- The Daily Telegraph 'A fascinating exploration of Eckersley's life and work' -- Creative Review 'This illustrated biography highlights [Eckersley's] fundamental role in the transformation of 20th-century graphic design and offers a fascinating portrait of an evolving Britain' -- Daily Mail and MailOnline