CLARK ART INSTITUTE FELLOW EXPLORES ORIGINS OF GRAPHIC DESIGN IN FREE LECTURE

February 12, 2018

Williamstown, Massachusetts—Renzo Baldasso, Mellon Decade Fellow at the Clark Art Institute, presents the free lecture, “ ‘Take Two:’ On the Origins of Graphic Design in Printed Books” on Tuesday, February 27 at 5:30 pm. The lecture will be held in the Clark’s auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.

Baldasso’s talk focuses on page-design revisions found in fifteenth-century books, from Gutenberg’s Bible to print designer Nicolas Jenson’s early publications. Analysis of examples of page-design revisions shed light on the origins of graphic design.

Renzo Baldasso is assistant professor in the School of Art at the Herberger Institute, Arizona State University, where he writes and teaches broadly on early modern art and book history. His publications include articles in The Art Bulletin and Gutenberg Jahrbuch, and he is a former fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Library of Congress, and The Newberry Library. During his tenure at the Clark, he will complete his first book, which examines the graphic solutions and novel aesthetics devised by early printers.

ABOUT THE CLARK

The Clark Art Institute, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is one of a small number of institutions globally that is both an art museum and a center for research, critical discussion, and higher education in the visual arts. Opened in 1955, the Clark houses exceptional European and American paintings and sculpture, extensive collections of master prints and drawings, English silver, and early photography. Acting as convener through its Research and Academic Program, the Clark gathers an international community of scholars to participate in a lively program of conferences, colloquia, and workshops on topics of vital importance to the visual arts. The Clark library, consisting of more than 270,000 volumes, is one of the nation’s premier art history libraries. The Clark also houses and co-sponsors the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.

The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is $20; free year-round for Clark members, children 18 and younger, and students with valid ID. Free admission is available through several programs, including First Sundays Free; a local library pass program; EBT Card to Culture; Bank of America Museums on Us; and Blue Star Museums. For more information on these programs and more, visit clarkart.edu or call 413 458 2303.

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