Lot 194: POSTER: ARMIN HOFMANN (1920- ). SPITZEN. 1969

ARMIN HOFMANN (1920- ) SPITZEN. 1969.
50x35 1/2 inches, 127x90 cm. Druck: Wassermann, Basel.
Condition B+: tears and abrasions in margins; minor wrinkles in image. Paper.
Hofmann studied in Zurich and settled in Basel, where he opened a studio and started teaching. He was a master typographer and, over the years, built a design standard based on consistent and rational principles aimed at creating timeless images. Steven Heller, writing in the catalogue of the artist's work for the Zurich Museum, states that his posters "collectively epitomize mid-century modernism . . ." To advertise this exhibition on lace, Hofmann creates a very sophisticated image. He evokes the precision and small size of lace by placing a large, close-up photograph of the material in the center of the image, contrasting with the bold white typography and also with the small letters he uses for the rest of the text. It is a rare and graphic gem. Hofmann p. 67, Schweiz p. 211.