HillÂman CurÂtis began his career in the San FranÂcisÂco new wave group Mrs. Green, served as MacroÂmeÂdiÂa’s design direcÂtor, foundÂed the design firm hillÂmanÂcurÂtis, Inc., wrote manÂuÂals on new media, and shot short docÂuÂmenÂtaries. He accomÂplished much of note across the design proÂfesÂsions before his untimeÂly passÂing last month, and these projects reveal his great affinÂiÂty for like-mindÂedÂly mulÂtiÂdisÂciÂpliÂnary and aesÂthetÂiÂcalÂly inclined creÂators. He won a great deal of his interÂnet fame examÂinÂing just such peoÂple in the Artist Series, a cycle of five-to-ten minute proÂfiles of, broadÂly speakÂing, his colÂleagues. These include MilÂton Glaser, the man behind the look of the immorÂtal I Love New York camÂpaign; David CarÂson, art direcÂtor of the nineties’ cultishÂly covÂetÂed rock magÂaÂzine Ray Gun; and Mark Romanek, direcÂtor of strikÂing comÂmerÂcials and feaÂture films like One Hour PhoÂto.
At the top of this post, you’ll find CurÂtis’ Artist Series short on Daniel LibeÂskind, the archiÂtect overÂseeÂing the rebuildÂing of the World Trade CenÂter. It examÂines the archiÂtecÂt’s buildÂings, his sketchÂes, his meetÂings, and his ideas about the built enviÂronÂment as a tool for libÂerÂaÂtion rather than a “neuÂtral world that conÂfirms all our ideas.” UltiÂmateÂly, LibeÂskind asks this of his craft, his proÂfesÂsion, and his worldÂview: “How will it carÂry peoÂple into a world that is good?” DirectÂly above is CurÂtis’ proÂfile of graphÂic designÂer Paula SchÂer, who talks about the speed with which she sketched the Citibank logo. The client seems to have balked at this, assumÂing that anyÂthing so quickÂly creÂatÂed couldÂn’t posÂsiÂbly warÂrant the cost. SchÂer argues that, while it appeared to take her only a secÂond, it realÂly took her “a secÂond and 34 years,” “a secÂond and every expeÂriÂence and every movie and every thing of my life that’s in my head.” NeiÂther she nor anyÂone else in the Artist Series sees diviÂsions between their work, their life, and the rest of humanÂiÂty. HillÂman CurÂtis, by all accounts, lived the same way.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
PowÂers of Ten: The 1968 DocÂuÂmenÂtary by LegÂendary DesignÂers Ray and Charles Eames
PaoÂla AntonelÂli on Design as the InterÂface Between Progress and HumanÂiÂty
ClasÂsic Jazz Album CovÂers AniÂmatÂed, or the Re-Birth of Cool
ColÂin MarÂshall hosts and proÂduces NoteÂbook on Cities and CulÂture. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
Citibank doesÂn’t seem like much to be proud of for any reaÂson, but it’s hard to think of a more posÂiÂtive PR flash than “I Love New York!”