Stunning exhibition catalogue design from the 1960s and 1970s

Designing exhibition catalogues well is no easy task: as a designer, your work must not only be visually appealing to the show’s visitors, but must also let the works it delineates sparkle. It’s a tricky balancing act, and one that today is often tackled with tasteful minimalism.

A new exhibition at New York’s Museum of Arts & Design (MAD) offers a tantalising look at how designers in the 1960s and 70s undertook exhibition catalogue creation, showcasing a wildly varied and often experimental approach. Among the designers featured in the exhibition, entitled Eye on Design, are Emil Antonucci, John J. Reiss, Tony Lane and Linda Hinrich, who were “influenced by pop culture, famous artist like Warhol and Matisse, as well as current fashion trends,” according to MAD.

The museum continues: “The exhibitions and graphic design illustrated in the show are expressive artworks in their own right, as opposed to mere devices to capture contents of an exhibition.”

Among the most eye-catching pieces are Tony Lane’s designs for Denim Art , a zeitgeisty little number that echoes the American love of the material in the 1960s and 70s; while Matisse references abound for the cover of Emily Antonucci’s The Art of Personal Adornmennt. "

Eye for Design runs from 7 June – 18 September 2016