Joseph Binder

Joseph Binder (March 3, 1898 – June 26, 1972) was an Austrian graphic designer and painter. He is recognized as one of the pioneers of the modern poster, noted for his refined, stylized images and high-impact colors. Some of his best known works include posters for the 1939 New York World's Fair, the U.S. Army Air Corps and the American Red Cross.

Early life and education Joseph Binder was born in Vienna on March 3, 1898. In 1912 he began a lithography apprenticeship with Waldheim Eberle printers in Vienna and then served in the Austro-Hungarian army during World War I. In 1922 he enrolled at the Vienna School of Arts and Crafts (Kunstgewerbeschüle) where he studied under Berthold Löffler. Binder was influenced by other Viennese Secessionists who taught at the school, including Koloman Moser. While still a student, Binder produced commercial work through a design studio he established with several friends. The studio was named ESBETA after the initials of its founders. One of his early honors included first prize in a poster competition sponsored by the American Red Cross.

Career

Vienna

In 1924 Binder established his own studio, Wiener Graphik, in Vienna. Important commissions followed including those for two coffee companies, Arabia and Julius Meinl. A version of the logo he created is still in use today. Other companies he developed logos for include Thonet, Semperit, and Bensdorp. In 1936, Binder wrote an article for the American Magazine of Art in which he promoted "stylization," his word for a modern approach based on abstraction and reduction of form. He believed that the realistic approach dominating U.S. advertising at the time needed to be replaced with "modern design." Throughout the 1930s Binder's international reputation continued to grow, fueled by the presence of his posters in exhibitions from New York to Tokyo. In 1938 he officially closed his Vienna studio two years after moving to the United States. In 1936, he established a studio and residence on Central Park South in New York City. Breaking into the New York advertising world was challenging at first. Agencies asked him "to supply ideas" as a way to offer their clients an alternative approach to the realism prevalent in American advertising.

By the late 1930s, Binder found success in the United States. His winning entry for the 1939 New York World's Fair poster competition only served to further his reputation. As the New York Journal reported, "like a sponge, Binder absorbed the spirit of 20th century America so completely, in fact that he has produced the official poster for the World's Fair." His highly stylized design prominently featured a glowing trylon and perishphere, the symbol of the fair. Secondary elements, including a fleet of aircraft, an express train, an ocean liner and the New York skyline, represented America's coming of age and technological prowess.

In 1941, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) sponsored the National Defense Poster Competition. Binder submitted winning entries in two categories. His poster for Defense Bonds took second place and his poster for the Army Air Corps Recruiting won first place. The Army Air Corps poster is among Binder's best-known works. He created memorable advertisements and posters for A&P Coffee and Jantzen Swimsuits. As a founding member of Design Austria, the country's national design association, his legacy continues through the biennial Joseph Binder Award. The Joseph Binder Award is an international competition for graphic design and illustration. The award is funded by interest from Binder's estate.

Awards and honors Binder won numerous poster design competitions and had his work published in major design publications. His posters and paintings are held in museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Smithsonian and the Museum of Applied Art (MAK). Some of his honors include: Honorary Professorship awarded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education and Art, 1952 Honorary member BOEG (Society of graphic designers), 1952 Admitted to Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), 1954 City of Vienna's Honorary Medal in Gold, 1969 American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Medalist, 2004