Reference: Viscount collection : ‘The Australian Scene’
Arthur Boyd, Russell Drysdale, Sydney [sic] Nolan, John Olsen, Albert Tucker, James Wigley, Frederick Williams. [Melbourne? : Godfrey Phillips International Pty. Ltd., circa 1963]. Quarto, colour wrappers designed by Arthur Leydin (corner creased, a small amount of silverfishing), pp. [16], illustrated.
The Viscount collection was assembled by Australian Galleries for tobacco manufacturers Godfrey Phillips International Pty. Ltd. The exhibition of paintings opened at Australian Galleries, Melbourne, on 19 Nov 1963 and travelled to Clune Galleries, Sydney on 4 Dec 1963, and then Farmer’s Blaxland Gallery, Adelaide, 1 Apr 1964.
‘This small exhibition catalogue is a fine example of Australian designer, Arthur Leydin’s crisp clean graphic design style. It features an abstract modernist design which stands in stark contrast to the modern figurative, and abstract expressionist, paintings of Arthur Boyd, Russell Drysdale, Sidney Nolan, John Olsen, Albert Tucker, James Wigley, Frederick Williams, illustrated within. Leydin’s bold minimalist graphic design style gives the booklet a strong presence and it’s own identity.
Abstract geometric modernism was popular in Australian architecture, fashion and design during the 1950s and 1960s (eg Harry Seidler Rose Seidler house 1948-1950 and Simona dress in Bruno Benini fashion photo 1966 – Powerhouse Museum collection 2009/43/1-1/27). The booklet uses plain white or coloured surfaces generously, and text and images sparingly. This minimalist design is communicated throughout – from the red and black front cover with white square ‘frame’ motif through the spacious page layouts, and plain red back cover featuring 3 tiny words, ‘Design: Arthur Leydin’.
The Museum holds the design archive of Arthur Leydin (1932-2010) . This booklet, which was collected and held onto for decades by another Sydney-based graphic designer, John Spatchurst, is not included in this archive.
Leydin developed his modern graphic style while working in Melbourne, the USA and Canada in the 1950s. When Leydin was initiated into the Australian Graphic Design Hall of Fame in 2000, colleague and friend Max Robinson, penned a few words in an endeavour to sum up Leydin’s impact and design legacy:
“Arthur Leydin careered through the graphic design world like a rogue comet. Once you thought you had him firmly in your sights, he was gone again to another distant galaxy, leaving in his wake a trail of sublime work sprinkled over two continents.” ‘ – Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences website, Anne-Marie Van de Ven, Curator, 2014.
CATALOGUE CONTAINS INFORMATIVE TEXT ON EACH ARTIST AND THEIR WORK. CONTAINS BLACK & WHITE ILLUSTRATIONS IN THROUGHOUT OF THE ARTISTS' WORKS AND A PHOTOGRAPH OF EACH ARTIST.
Publishing details: Godfrey Phillips International Pty. Ltd., circa 1963]. Quarto, colour wrappers designed by Arthur Leydin pp. [16], illustrated.
Location: 123