Ivan Chermayeff was a distinguished graphic designer, author, illustrator, and collagist. In a career spanning over six decades, his work has been exhibited throughout the world and has inspired generations of design students.
In a partnership with Tom Geismar that spanned 60 years, Ivan produced memorable work in a wide range of mediums. He created over 100 posters announcing prominent television shows, museum exhibitions, and other cultural events, all conceived with an unerring sense of color, form, typography, and visual connections.
Chermayeff’s design for the massive steel red 9 that sits on West 57th Street has become a New York landmark, and his “fractured flag” design was a highly visible feature in the U.S. Pavilion at Expo’67 in Montreal. His designs for the Smithsonian Institution, Showtime Networks and Pan Am are considered iconic.
Collage was a favorite means of personal expression for Chermayeff, apart from his professional work. Bright, colorful, and highly graphic, each collage is made from mailing envelopes, scraps of packaging, ticket stubs, bits of type, etc. This artwork has been featured in over 40 one-man exhibitions throughout the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Nearly all the collages are variations on the theme of the human face, each made with a style and visual wit characteristic of Ivan’s work.
Over the years Chermayeff designed a range of children’s books that feature bold illustrations and sparse texts. His “Sun Moon Stars,” with a text by Kurt Vonnegut, has been reprinted in many languages.
Customs Inspector, serigraph of original collage, 24x 36 inches
SOLD - Hassidic Smoker, serigraph of original collage, 24 x 36 inches
SOLD - Innocent Japanese Person, serigraph of original collage, 24 x 36 inches
One Eyed Peasant, serigraph of original collage, 24 x 36 inches
SOLD - Geisha in Amsterdam, serigraph of original collage, 24 x 36 inches