Modernist Erik Nitsche.

Gebrauchsgraphik No. 6, 1961 – Cover

Exploring the Universe – Poster / General Dynamics
Graphis Annual 59/60

Underseas Frontiers – Poster / General Dynamics
Gebrauchsgraphik No. 4, 1961

Dynamic America / Exhibit posters illustrating the phases of development of General Dynamics
Gebrauchsgraphik No. 4, 1961

Energetic Earth – Poster / General Dynamics
Gebrauchsgraphik No. 4, 1961

Convair 880: World’s Fastest Jetliner – Poster / General Dynamics
Gebrauchsgraphik No. 4, 1961

Gebrauchsgraphik No. 4, 1956 – Cover
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I have long been enamored by Swiss-born graphic designer Erik Nitsche’s (1908–1998) work for General Dynamics. To my delight, I opened a recently acquired 1961 Gebrauchsgraphik to find a lengthy article featuring a wealth of Nitsche’s pieces for General Dynamics. The mostly abstract ads have a balance and beauty to them, conveying volumes with little need for words. Included in this post are magazine covers from 1956 and 1961 which illustrate well his mastery of geometry and color. Much has been written about Erik Nitsche and his influence on other designers, so please explore further through the links provided below. There are many insightful quotes about him, I’ll leave you with these two: From an essay about the designer from the late 1950s by P. K. Thomajan “Self-effacement, [Nitsche] finds, keeps the blighting shadow of the ego out of one’s work.” (ADC 1996 Hall of Fame) And “Indeed Nitsche’s brand of artful futurism was copied by many others at the time and might be seen today as representative of the so-called ‘Atomic Style’ that emerged in the mid- to late-1950s.” (Erik Nitsche: The Reluctant Modernist by Steven Heller)

>> Erik Nitsche flickr set

See/learn more:
Art Directors Club 1996
Typotheque
Design is History
Iconofgraphics
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Sandi Vincent grew up in the bay area of California surrounded by mid-century modern architecture and other influences responsible for her affinity for the period and its pop style, including her early exposure to The Monkees, The Avengers and Gerald McBoing-Boing. Sandi now resides in Portland and is a board member of a local nonprofit preservation group, the Mid-Century Modern League. In her day job at a community foundation, she sports the web/social media/print materials coordinator title.

Follow Sandi on Twitter > @SandiV

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