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Archive12

Tom is honored to be on the judging panel of Archive 12, this year’s Chicago Design Archive event, sponsored by The Society of Typographic Arts. The jury consists of Andrew Blauvelt from Walker Art Center, Adam Michaels from Project Projects, Cheryl Towler Weese from StudioBlue, and Alisa Wolfson from Leo Burnett.

The Chicago Design Archive (CDA) is North America’s most extensive permanent collection of current and historical communication design. It concentrates on work from the Chicago area – one of the world’s most vibrant and innovative centers for design. Artists and designers whose work is represented include Charles & Ray Eames, Man Ray, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Raymond Loewy, Oswald Cooper, John Massey, Martin Goldsholl, Art Paul, Dana Arnett, Greg Samata, Rick Valicenti, Bob Vogele, Herman Zapf and dozens of others.

Visit the site here.

Letterform Archive talk: Color as Character

Last week we filled a room at Letterform Archive for Tom Crabtree’s salon talk, Color as Character.

Surrounded by a chromatic array of artifacts pulled from the Archive’s collection, Tom traced a path from early sources of inspiration to the identities we create today, with color as the main character throughout. Along the way: a rainbow sweater from childhood, fluorescent screen prints from college, and a kaleidoscopic mix of historical influences, including David Hockney, Eduardo Paolozzi, Piet Zwart, Otl Aicher, and Wim Crouwel.

The evening offered a personal look at Tom’s relationship with color, and the role it continues to play in shaping the way we design at Manual.

Thanks to everyone who came out, and to our friends and neighbors at Letterform Archive for hosting, especially Stephen and Angie.