The Complete Commercial Artist

From 1928 to 1930, Tokyo publisher Ars issued The Complete Commercial Artist, a fully illustrated journal of commercial design for both commercial retail spaces and print design. Featuring countless original designs, its 24 volumes were dedicated to topics ranging from posters, packaging, flyers, page layout and typography to neon signage, billboards and shop window displays. Under the guidance of lead editor and writer Hamada Masuji, a passionate advocate for commercial design, the publication became the most important–and visually dazzling–document of Japanese design in its time. This generous volume from Letterform Archive Books shares hundreds of exuberant and whimsical pages from all 24 volumes of the now-rare publication. An extensive historical essay and volume-by-volume walk-throughs by art historian Gennifer Weisenfeld introduce readers to the magazine’s creators and offer analyses of their use of illustration, photography, typography and lettering, highlighting both Japanese and European influences as new forms of media sparked a global dialogue. Presented for the first time to an English audience, The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan 1928-1930 takes readers on an eye-opening tour of interwar Japan’s vibrant visual culture. 432 pages. Paperback.