‘Cultivating a Design Legacy: The First 50 Years’ is a wonderful exploration of the celebrated works of Entro Communications and Gottschalk+Ash Toronto told within the wider context of International and Canadian design history.
The book opens with the founding partners of Entro and G+A, reviewing the history of each firm from their own personal perspectives. The next section, “Circles of Influence”, offers perspectives on design history acknowledging such important influencers as El Lissitzky, Anton Stankowski, Mies van der Rohe, Paul Rand and Walter Gropius.
Narrowing the focus to Canadian graphic design, the subsequent section provides readers with an understanding of how the International style of design made its way into Canadian design thinking and techniques from the 1960’s through to present works. Significant design pioneers in this section include: Stuart Ash, Fritz Gottschalk, Peter Steiner, Hélène L’Heureux, Carl Dair, Allan Fleming, Ernst Roch, Rolf Harder, Massimo Vignelli and Paul Arthur.
Framing the combined project history through six key decades, prominent art historian, Brian Donnelly illustrates the relevance of Entro and G+A’s work over the past 50 years of evolving design influence:
1960s: European Minimalism in the Age of Aquarius
1970s: The Rewards of Cool Restraint
1980s: The Play of Postmodern
1990s: The Beauty of Craft, Computerized
2000s: A New Millennium Demands New Methods
2010+: A Renewed Vision
The story closes with ‘Thoughts on Design’ from current associates and alumni of both Gottschalk+Ash and Entro Communications, telling the stories of their experience working at each firm, and looking back at particular projects that have shaped their careers.
Order a copy here.
