Reviews
Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight
By David Kempler
2009-05-21 23:56:30

Milton Glaser is arguably the greatest graphic designer in America of the last 100 years. His influence is everywhere. We have all experienced his work first-hand whether we are aware of it or not. He may be most famous for his "I Love NY" design where he replaced the word "Love" with a graphic representation of a human heart. Try and walk through New York City and not find that logo. It eventually became the logo for most every city's way of promoting itself.

Glazer's work spans entire ranges of style. Some of his work may look primitive while other work of his can be the most cutting-edge avant garde. You might find his art on album covers (Bob Dylan, for example), book jackets, advertisements and magazine illustrations, just to name a few media. He designed and ran New York Magazine for years. His credits are endless.

As powerful and pervasive as Glaser's influence is, "To Inform and Delight" is a rather dry view of what should be a more absorbing topic. His artwork is so exciting and creative. Unfortunately, the pacing and presentation of the film plays like a segment on a Sunday Morning television talk show. There is no oomph. Maybe there was no way to make this into a knockout but there should be at least a sense of the vitality that Glazer has brought to us all. You would be better served purchasing a book of his work. That's where the real excitement is.