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Tibor Kalman

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Tibor Kalman
Born
Tibor Kalman

(1949 -07-06)July 6, 1949
Budapest,Hungary
DiedMay 2, 1999(1999-05-02)(aged 49)
Vega Alta,Puerto Rico
NationalityAmerican
EducationNew York University
Known forgraphic design
Colorsmagazine
Spouse
​
(m.1981)​
Children2
Parents
  • George Tibor Kalman (father)
  • Marianne I. Dezsõffi (mother)
AwardsAIGA medal (1999)

Tibor George Kalman[1](July 6, 1949 – May 2, 1999)[2]was an Americangraphic designerof Hungarian origin, well known for his work as editor-in-chief ofColorsmagazine.[3][4][5]

Early life[edit]

Kalman was born on July 6, 1949, inBudapest,to parents Marianne I. (née Deezsoffy or Dezsőffi) and George Tibor Kalman.[6][7][8]He became a United States resident in 1956, after he and his family fledHungaryto escape theSovietinvasion, settling inPoughkeepsie, New York.[9]Both of his parents hadJewishethnic roots and converted toCatholicismto avoid persecution, so "Kalman only became aware that he was Jewish at the age of 18".[10]

In 1967, he enrolled inNew York University(NYU),dropping outafter one year of Journalism classes to travel toCubato harvest sugar cane and learn about Cuban culture as a member of theVenceremos Brigade.[9][11]

Career[edit]

In 1971, Kalman returned toNew York Citywhere he was hired byLeonard Riggiofor a small bookstore that eventually becameBarnes & Noble.He later became the creative director of their in-house design department, where he created advertisements, store signs, shopping bags, and the original B&N bookplate trademark.[11][2]In 1979, Kalman – along with his wifeMaira Kalman,[12]Carol Bokuniewicz, and Liz Trovato – started the design firmM & Co.,which did corporate work for such diverse clients as theLimited Corporation,thenew waverock groupTalking Heads,andRestaurant Florentin New York City'sMeatpacking District.[13]He sought to challenge mundane design thinking and aspired to create unpredictable work.[3]Kalman also worked as creative director ofInterviewmagazine in the early 1990s.[9]

By the 1980s, Kalman was known for being "the 'bad boy' of graphic design" because of his antics and radical consciousness. He believed that award-winning design was only possible when the client was ethical, and frequently called other designers out when he did not agree with their actions. He defined good design as a benefit to everyday life and should be used to increase public awareness of social issues.[3][2]Kalman adopted a vernacular style as a way to protest corporateInternational Stylewhich was the primary design style of the time.[2]

Kalman became founding editor-in-chief of theBenetton-sponsored magazineColors,in 1991. Two years later, Kalman closed M & Co. and moved toRome,to work exclusively onColors.[4]Billed as "a magazine about the rest of the world",Colorsfocused onmulticulturalismand global awareness. This perspective was communicated through bold graphic design,typography,and juxtaposition of photographs and doctored images, including a series in which highly recognizable figures such as thePopeandQueen Elizabethwere depicted as racial minorities.[9][3]

In 1999, Kalman won theAIGA medalas the "design profession's moral compass and its most fervent provocateur".[3]

Personal life[edit]

From 1981 up until his death, Kalman was married to the illustrator and authorMaira Kalman(née Berman).[14][15][16]They met while attending NYU.[16]Together they had two children, Lulu Bodoni and Alex Onomatopoeia.[15][17]

Death and legacy[edit]

The onset ofnon-Hodgkin's lymphomaforced Kalman to leaveColorsin 1995 and return to New York. In 1997, he re-opened M & Co. and continued to work until his death on May 2, 1999, inVega Alta,Puerto Rico.[9][2]

Publications[edit]

  • Tibor Kalman: Perverse Optimist,a book about Kalman's work and that with M&Co, was published by Princeton Architectural Press in 1999. Tibor Kalman (Designer); Peter Hall, Michael Bierut (Editors); Kurt Andersen, Steven Heller, Rick Poynor, Paola Antonelli, David Byrne, Jay Chiat, Jenny Holzer, Isaac Mizrahi, Florent Morellet, Leonard Riggio, Rebecca Robertson, Ingrid Sischy, Elizabeth Sussman, Olivero Toscani (Contributors)[9]ISBN1568982585

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Tibor George Kalman in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007".Ancestry.Social Security Administration. 1999.
  2. ^abcdeHeller, Steven (1999-05-05)."Tibor Kalman, 'Bad Boy' of Graphic Design, 49, Dies".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2019-06-11.
  3. ^abcdeHeller, Steven."Tibor Kalman".AIGA | the professional association for design.Retrieved2019-06-10.
  4. ^abPoynor, Rick (17 May 1999)."Obituary: Tibor Kalman".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-07.Retrieved2010-01-03.
  5. ^Haber, Matthew (May 19, 1999)."Tibor Kalman: A highly innovative and influential designer, the onetime editor of Colors magazine died May 2".Salon.Retrieved2010-01-03.
  6. ^"Obituaries: Tibor Kalman, Graphic Designer With Social Focus, Dies at 49".WWD.1999-05-10.Retrieved2021-07-06.
  7. ^"Marianne Kalman".USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive.Retrieved2021-07-06.
  8. ^"Kalman, George T.".Newspapers.The Philadelphia Inquirer. 13 June 2003. p. B08.Retrieved2021-07-06.
  9. ^abcdef"Tibor Kalman | Contributors | COLORS Magazine".colorsmagazine.Retrieved2019-06-10.
  10. ^Antonelli, Paola;Kalman, Tibor;Bierut, Michael(1998).Perverse Optimist.Booth-Clibborn Editions. p. 54.ISBN9781861540928.
  11. ^ab"Tibor Kalman".ADC • Global Awards & Club.Retrieved2019-06-11.
  12. ^"M & Co. Biography, People: Collection of Cooper Hewitt".Cooper Hewitt Museum.Retrieved7 June2021.
  13. ^Makovsky, Paul (March 20, 2006)."Restaurant Florent – 1985: A New York restaurateur creates a cultural hub by combining politics with design, activism with good food".Metropolis.Retrieved2010-01-03.Quote: Florent Morellet "left most of the 1950s luncheonette features intact, and gave Tibor Kalman and M & Co. free reign [sic] to create ads and graphics that cultivated a Florent culture that survives today and extends well beyond the walls of the space. "
  14. ^"Tibor Kalman in the New York, New York, U.S., Marriage License Indexes, 1907–2018, License 7442".Ancestry.New York City Municipal Archives. 1981.
  15. ^abAlam, Rumaan (April 30, 2018)."The Singular Magic of Maira Kalman, at home with the beloved writer and illustrator".The Cut.
  16. ^abHeller, Steven (Spring 2003)."Reputations: Maira Kalman".Eye Magazine.Retrieved2021-07-06.
  17. ^Pearlman, Chee (2001-11-01)."FIRST LOOK; Unleashing Her Inner Child".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2021-07-06.

External links[edit]

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