Max Bill

Max Bill’s View of Things: Die gute Form: An Exhibition 1949, 2013

“The international touring exhibition Die gute Form was conceived by Max Bill on behalf of the Swiss Werkbund and was shown for the first time in 1949 at the Basel Mustermesse trade fair. The exhibition consisted of 80 display panels, designed by Bill presenting a selection of consumer goods from all over the world chosen by Bill as examples of good design. The show caused some upset in Switzerland and fuelled heated debates abroad. But it also exerted a wide-reaching influence – for example, upon the way in which consumer goods were perceived. This publication documents Bill’s initiative in reproductions of the original display panels and layout plans for the venues visited by the exhibition, and places Die gute Form in a theoretical context that considers its reception and impact within the history of design.’
Lars Müller Publishers

Details

  • Format Book
  • Designer/s Max Bill
  • Year 2013
  • Client/Publisher Lars Müller Publishers
  • Size 210mm x 297mm
Max Bill
Max Bill studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich from 1924 until 1927. He visited Paris in 1925 and was inspired by the work of Le Corbusier, Josef Hoffmann and Friedrich Kiesler. After attending a lecture by Le Corbusier in Zurich he decided to study architecture. He studied at the Bauhaus in Dessau, from 1927 until 1929. Then moved to Zurich and worked in typography, graphic design, painting, sculpture and architecture. He was also a teacher at Kunstgewerbeschule in Zurich, a guest lecturer at the Technische Hochschule in Darmstadt and worked at  Hochschule für Gestaltung, Ulm. Explore related designers including Josef Müller-Brockmann, Karl Gerstner, and Richard Paul Lohse. See also International Typographic Style and Bauhaus.

Linked Information

Max Bill's View of Things, Die gute Form, An Exhibition 1949, 2013
Max Bill‘s View of Things, Die gute Form, An Exhibition 1949, 2013
More graphic design artefacts
More graphic design history articles
Graphic Design Books for Students Part 1

Design Education

Graphic Design Books for Students Part 1

From time to time members of the Graphic Design History group and others have asked for a number of recommendations for books related to design history, theory and specific areas of graphic design. This is the first of a series of articles from educators, designers and archivists featuring book recommendations and resources.

Read Article
Helmut Schmid Typography –  A new monograph published by Lars Müller Publishers

Book Reviews & Press Releases

Helmut Schmid Typography – A new monograph published by Lars Müller Publishers

Helmut Schmid Typography explores the typographer’s oeuvre in its entirety. The book’s generous design allows each image to breathe, and the accompanying texts narrate Schmid’s life and career in an informative and pleasant manner.

Read Article
Juan Carlos Distefano and the Design and Publicity for the Instituto di Tella, Buenos Aires

Design Archive Feature, Members Only Content, Poster Design, Regional Histories

Juan Carlos Distefano and the Design and Publicity for the Instituto di Tella, Buenos Aires

Juan Carlos Distéfano is an Argentinian artist, designer and teacher. He designed a range of posters, programmes brochures and book covers alongside Juan Andralis, Humberto Rivas and Roberto Alvarado for the Instituto di Tella, Buenos Aires.

Read Article