Deborah Sussman

Deborah Sussman is very well known as a pioneer in environmental graphic design, specializing in urban branding. She creates arresting visual images and designed its highly imaginative applications for architectural and public spaces.
Her work has a lot of impact on Los Angeles. Some says that Los Angeles would not look like how it it now without her designs. When they think of Los Angeles of the 70s and 80s, they come up with Sussman's collage they picture in their mind's eye. Her marks were: bold, color, color, color. The city's postmodern verve is directly indebted to her influence, as a forthcoming show aims to illustrate.

She said that her influences are Ray and Charles along with Alexander Gerard who was working with her, and each of them was great mentors to her. The thing that shaped her is her trip to Mexico. She went there in the early 1950's to take photos as part of a research for 'the day of the dead' film and was really taken back by the place, people, the culture.

The vibrancy of color that she discovered there has always stayed with her,especially the bright yellow and magenta icing on the sugar skulls and sweet breads. She says that is pretty amazing for her. SHe did not like to have boundaries, for her to have one language, one color and one typeface is lack of freedom. She also says about her work that it is ''exuberant and bold''.

References:

deborah sussman interview. 2014. deborah sussman interview. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.designboom.com/design/deborah-sussman-interview-12-11-2013/. [Accessed 18 January 2014].

Designer Deborah Sussman. 2014. Designer Deborah Sussman. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www3.uclaextension.edu/mastersofdesign/designers/deborah_sussman.cfm. [Accessed 18 January 2014].