1976

Milton Glaser

2001

2020

June 2020 On the 26th, Milton Glaser, the American graphic design master who created the well-known "I? NY" (I love New York) logo, passed away at the age of 91.

In an interview five weeks before his death, he said:

"New York is a spirit.

I'm proud of everything it represents. "

Four months ago, when the number of confirmed cases in New York State exceeded 10,000 for the first time among states in the United States, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo upgraded prevention and control measures and signed an executive order "New York Pause Mode" requiring People are quarantined at home and all non-essential shops are closed. For a time, New York suddenly became an empty city.

The world has taken a turn for the worse. In May, New York's unemployment rate soared to 18.3%, and protests triggered by racial discrimination also began one after another. Anger and panic began to occupy people's hearts. The world's largest city seemed to have changed its face overnight.

This is not the first time New York has experienced a trough. In the mid-1970s, the United States had just pulled its legs out of the mire of the Vietnam War and was exhausted, and New York also fell into a low ebb. Unemployment and crime rates have soared at the same time. Many people are sleeping on the streets, at a loss, or fleeing from the city to the suburbs. If we travel back now, it will look like Gotham City in "Batman".

? Inside the New York subway during the 2020 epidemic; Associated Press AP Photo/John Minchillo

Even so, do you still love this city?

Do you still have hope for tomorrow?

In 1976, Milton Glaser, who was already well-known in the industry, gave his own design answer - I? NY

Milton Glaser, "I love New York Concept sketch for "", 1976

This random doodle by Milton in the back of a taxi became the city's chosen New York logo. Overnight, I ? NY spread throughout New York, the United States, and even the world. It's printed on T-shirts, printed on hats, printed everywhere you can see it. Use ? to ignite enthusiasm, use love to call for hope - something slowly revives in the heart.

MoMA has collected the entire process of "I? NY" created by this American design master, and held a solo exhibition for him in 1975. On the occasion of Milton's death, curator Paola Antennali wrote a commemorative article to lead us at this special moment to remember this master who once projected the light of hope through design in the gloom.

In Memory of Milton Glaser

Paola Antennali

■ Senior Curator, Department of Architecture and Design, MoMA

■ Director of Research and Development

In 1976, New York was in a slump and the world was moving away from it. There is nothing the federal government can do. Then-New York Governor Hugh L. Kelly wanted to bring tourists back to Broadway—and back to New York. He commissioned the advertising agency Wells Rich Green to design a logo. In the 2020 book, Mary Lawrence Wells recalled, "It was out of his love for New York that Milton came to our offices with a dozen submitted designs... It was a ' The 'I Love New York' logo replaces the word 'love' with a heart... 'I Love New York' is so contagious that people around the world have embraced it and half of the population is imitating it. form, replacing 'New York' with the name of their country, city or hamburger.

”

Layout sketch for Milton Glaser’s “I Love New York”, 1976

With this design, Milton Glaser showed the world the golden rule of communicative design: simplicity , engaging, emotional and therefore universal, the city he loved was suffering, and everyone loved New York, and he decided to let love overcome all: the secret of Milton's success was not a secret, he did it with total grace and. Talent conveyed the message directly, clearly and effectively. His dreamy hairstyle for Bob Dylan (which conveyed a spirit of youth, sincerity, imagination and energy despite the singer's recent horrific accident) and for The poster designed by Mahalia Jackson for an Easter concert is joyful, sacred, and explosive—two other classics in MoMA’s collection of Milton Glaser’s works.

Milton Glaser, Mahalia Jackson (poster), 1967

Milton was born in Bronx His love for New York would last throughout his career and ultimately shape the city's history. In 1968, before the "I Love New York" sign was born, he and Clay Felker co-founded New York magazine, and they envisioned a weekly that would be less elitist and less arrogant than The New Yorker, but still remain sharp, stylish, intellectually curious, and Radical design gene. He was the magazine's chairman and design director until 1977.

Milton Glaser "I Love New York," 1976

Education. Home, enlightener, philosopher, winner,

Lunch partner who always benefits from a lot,

Mentor, design giant...

Milton Will be missed, especially in this moment,

We are taking on the challenges of every moment

On September 11, 2001, when the Twin Towers were attacked, 2,977 New Yorkers. Deprived of life, Milton releases a new version of his monumental design "I Love New York More Than Ever," with a bruised edge of love and I can't help but wonder how he would have captured our current predicament. It's beyond ordinary complexity, tragedy, and hope

Milton Glaser, I love New York more than ever, 2001

Until Milton Glaser's death, in fact. Before, he was really studying what kind of design could connect people again at this moment.

He thought of "together" - in an interview before his death, he said: "You look at it. The news on TV is so depressing. This feeling of powerlessness about not being able to determine one's own future is very corrosive. What we can do is convey a sense that we are not alone. The phrase ‘we are in this together’ has been repeated thousands of times, but you can also create a symbolic meaning from the word ‘together’ alone. Each letter is different, but all are related to each other. So when you use the word ‘together’ again, you’ll be reminded of what it represents and how connected we are. "

Milton Glaser

Just like Milton opened up the copyright of the "I Love New York" logo, he has no business plan for this new design. , just hoping to connect people through art. Unfortunately, his health did not allow him to officially release this work.

In July 2020, New York announced that it would enter the third phase of reopening as scheduled, and it is moving out step by step. Haze.

I ? NY - This is where we live,

This is our tomorrow. We love it more than ever. /p>

Photographed by Robert Wright for The New York Times