Stefan Sagmeister's Career: Graphic Design as Emotional Provocation
Stefan Sagmeister, an Austrian graphic designer born in 1962, is known for his emotionally rich and psychologically insightful designs. He studied in Vienna and New York before working at Leo Burnett's Hong Kong Design Group and Tibor Kalman's M&Co. In 1993, he founded his own firm, Sagmeister Inc. His impressive client list features The Rolling Stones, HBO, the Guggenheim Museum, and musicians like Lou Reed and Brian Eno. For Reed's album 'Set the Twilight Reeling,' he famously tattooed the credits on his skin. In 2012, he teamed up with Jessica Walsh to create Sagmeister & Walsh, producing the notable book and exhibition 'Beauty' until they parted ways in 2019. His installation 'The Happy Show' at the Institute of Contemporary Art reflected his quest for happiness. Sagmeister has also received several awards, including the 2005 National Design Award and two Grammys for his album artwork, and he teaches at the School of Visual Arts.
Key facts
- Stefan Sagmeister was born in Austria in 1962.
- He founded Sagmeister Inc. in 1993.
- He scratched album credits into his own skin for Lou Reed's 'Set the Twilight Reeling'.
- Jessica Walsh joined the studio in 2012, forming Sagmeister & Walsh until 2019.
- The 'Beauty' project challenged modernist suspicion of ornament.
- 'The Happy Show' was an immersive exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art.
- He won the 2005 National Design Award for Communication Design.
- He received two Grammy Awards for album art in 2005 and 2010.
Entities
Artists
- Stefan Sagmeister
- Paula Scher
- Lou Reed
- David Byrne
- Brian Eno
- Jessica Walsh
- Tibor Kalman
Institutions
- Sagmeister Inc.
- Sagmeister & Walsh
- Leo Burnett's Hong Kong Design Group
- M&Co
- HBO
- Guggenheim Museum
- Talking Heads
- The Rolling Stones
- AIGA
- Cooper Hewitt
- SEGD
- School of Visual Arts
- Institute of Contemporary Art
- Hue & Eye
Locations
- Austria
- Vienna
- New York
- Hong Kong