#gastrotypographicalassemblage

[aricpav]

Gastrotypographicalassemblage. I completely forgot that this masterpiece was at my brother’s school! #gastrotypographicalassemblage #typographydesign #typography #typographyart

[theatlantic]

The Death and Resurrection of Gastrotypographicalassemblage

When Laurence Tisch became CEO of CBS in 1986, he started cutting costs everywhere from the mailroom to the newsroom. Even the cafeteria wasn’t safe. That’s where the proverbial knife fell on a landmark typographic installation: the now-legendary “Gastrotypographicalassemblage”—the Great Wall of CBS—that had hung for more than 20 years.

At 35 feet wide by 8.5 feet tall, this three-dimensional mural designed by CBS design director Lou Dorfsman and the typographic maestros Herb Lubalin and Tom Carnase took over one entire cafeteria wall of Eero Saarinen’s Black Rock, the CBS Building on Sixth Avenue between 52nd and 53rd Streets. Dorfsman considered this massive frieze of custom-milled woodtype spelling out foods and food groups—from lamb chops to hasenpfeffer—his magnum opus, “his gift to the world.”

That says a lot.

Read more. [Image: AIGA]

[typeworship]

Gastrotypographical-reassemblage

This morning I received an email from The Culinary Institute of America, who had seen my post on the above ‘Gastrotypographicalassemblage’, to say that the restoration of this 1960s typographic mural was in the home stretch and that it will have a new home at The CIA from March 2014.

The huge mural was designed in the 60s by Creative Director, Lou Dorfsman (pictured), for the CBS staff cafeteria in New York. The work measures more than 33 feet wide and 8 feet tall, and consists of more than 1,650 individual letters spelling out culinary terminology and expressions. Among the 255 words there are also 65 food-related objects.

It remain on display from 1966 but when the building was restored in 1989 it was removed and left without a home. It was eventually saved from the landfill by designer Nick Fasciano and Lou Dorfsman, who stored it for more than two decades. 

Following an extensive restoration it will now be located in the CIA's new 800-seat theatre and conference center. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

[uniteditions-blog]

Gastrotypographicalassemblage by Lou Dorfsman and Herb Lubalin at the CBS offices.

Herb Lubalin: American Graphic Designer (1918–81)

[typeworship]

‘Gastrotypographicalassemblage’

This 3D typographic mural was designed in the 60s by Creative Director, Lou Dorfsman (pictured), for the CBS cafeteria in New York. Featuring and combination of typography and food it's called ‘Gastrotypographicalassemblage’.  

It was produced with help of Herb Lubalin and this evening, I'm off to "An evening celebrating the life and work of Herb Lubalin" at St. Brides Typographic Library, where Adrian Shaughnessy will be giving a talk his new book Herb Lubalin: American Graphic Designer, 1918–81.

I'm looking forward to it and will report back.

The brilliant mural was taken down in the early '90 and is currently being restored.