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"Him" Poster for The Public Theater by Paula Scher, 1994
Paula Scher’s work for The Public Theater began in 1994 when she was retained by the The Public’s producer, George C. Wolfe, to design the organization’s graphic identity. In seeking to provide a visual identity that responded to the theater’s mission as an accessible community theater, Scher drew inspiration from the streets of New York City to create a series of graphics that responded to both the grid-structure of the streets and the urban language of graffiti. The posters that Scher designed for The Public Theater have become iconic emblems—not only of the plays that they advertised, but of the cultural moments in which they were produced. Scher’s designs reference the pervasive social, economic and political issues of the time. The museum is perpetually interested in adding the work of National Design Award winners to the permanent collection.
This poster is a part of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum's permanent collection and was featured in 2015 exhibition How Posters Work. Paula Scher is the recipient of the 2013 National Design Award for Communication Design.
Paula Scher’s work for The Public Theater began in 1994 when she was retained by the The Public’s producer, George C. Wolfe, to design the organization’s graphic identity. In seeking to provide a visual identity that responded to the theater’s mission as an accessible community theater, Scher drew inspiration from the streets of New York City to create a series of graphics that responded to both the grid-structure of the streets and the urban language of graffiti. The posters that Scher designed for The Public Theater have become iconic emblems—not only of the plays that they advertised, but of the cultural moments in which they were produced. Scher’s designs reference the pervasive social, economic and political issues of the time. The museum is perpetually interested in adding the work of National Design Award winners to the permanent collection.
This poster is a part of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum's permanent collection and was featured in 2015 exhibition How Posters Work. Paula Scher is the recipient of the 2013 National Design Award for Communication Design.
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