Herbert Matter

1907  Born April 25, in Engelberg, Switzerland.

1925-1927  Studied painting at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Geneva.

1928-1929 Studied with Fernand Léger and Amédée Ozenfant at the    Académie Moderne, Paris.

1929-1932 Worked with A.M. Cassandre on poster design and Le Corbusier on architecture and  displays for exhibits in Paris.

1930  Designed family-owned Tea Room Matter in Engelberg, inspired by the Bauhaus and El Lissitzky.

1932-1935  Sent back to Zurich by french immigration for lack of proper papers. Worked as photographer and designer on brochures and posters for the Swiss Tourist Office using the new photomontage technique.

1935  Traveled to the United States in December 35, photographed the US tour of dance troupe Trudi Schoop. Decided to stay in New York City.

1936-1938  Worked as freelance photographer for Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue under art director Alexey Brodovitch.

Created displays for the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

1939 Appointed designer for the Swiss National Pavilion in collaboration with Swiss architect William Lescaze, for the 1939 World’s Fair in New York.

Proposed and designed the Corning Glass Pavilion exhibition for the 1939 World’s Fair New York.

1941  Marriage to Mercedes Carles.

Started working on posters and advertisements for the Container Corporation of America (CCA).

1942   Son Alexander Matter born.

1943 First one-man exhibition of photography, Pierre Matisse Gallery, NY

1943-1946 Worked with Charles and Ray Eames in Venice, California.

Designed covers and layouts for John Entenza’s arts & architecture magazine.

1946  Returned to New York,

Began twenty-year relationship with furniture company Knoll Associates as design- and advertising consultant.

1946-1957 Worked as staff photographer for Condé Nast Publications.

Started NY photo studio Studio Associates.

1948  Designed In and Out of Focus, photography exhibition for the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Matter’s work included in the show.

1949-1950  Directed, filmed and edited The Works of Calder for the Museum of Modern Art, the first color film about Alexander Calder. Featuring Calder, Alex Matter and a film-score composed by John Cage.

1950-1955  Collaborated, filmed and edited black and white dance films The Spirit Moves and Dancing with James Berry with Mura Dehn.

1951-1960   Appointed visiting critic in photography, Yale University, School of Art and Architecture, New Haven, CT by Alvin Eisenman.

1952-1955   Appointed design consultant to the New Haven Railroad (NHRR). Created comprehensive design program and corporate identity.

1952  Exhibition Matter At Work, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), Richmond, VA.

1953-1968 Appointed design consultant to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Responsible for publications and signage.

1955   Created symbol and styling design program for the Boston and Maine Railroad.

Completed design for the photo mural History of Writing for Marcel Breuer designed public library, Grosse Pointe, MI.

Honored by membership in the prestigious Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), Zürich/Switzerland.

1958   Designed mural for the fifth floor reception of the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed Seagram building in New York.

1959   A fire destroys the Matter Tea Room, Engelberg, Switzerland. Earliest work lost in fire.

1960-1979  Developed photographic essay on the works of Alberto Giacometti.

1961-1967  Design consultant to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX.

1961-1976  Appointed Professor of Graphic Design, Yale University, School of Art and Architecture, New Haven, CT.

1962  Comprehensive exhibition of Matter’s photography and graphic design work at the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), NY.

1964  Animator for stills and maps of Universal Pictures release The Guns of August (Director: Nathan Kroll).

1968  Produced and directed ten 30 minute educational films titled the World Games on R. Buckminster Fuller.

1976 Appointed Professor Emeritus of Graphic Design and Photography, Yale University, School of Art and Architecture, New Haven, CT.

1977   Elected to Art Director’s Club of New York, Hall of Fame.

1978  Exhibition, Herbert Matter - a retrospective, Yale University, Art and Architecture gallery, New Haven, CT.

Exhibition of photography, Kunsthaus Zürich, Switzerland.

1982  Elected Royal Designer to Industry, by Royal Society of Designers to Industry, London, England.

1983  Received American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Gold Medal for Life Achievement.

1984  Died of cancer on May 8., Southampton, Long Island, NY.

1986 Publication of book Alberto Giacometti based on Matter’s extensive specifications and design maquette.

1988  Exhibition of Matter’s early European work, Kunsthaus Zürich, Switzerland. Release of book Sehformen der Zeit on the same topic.

1991  Exhibition The Graphic Design of Herbert Matter, Museum of Modern Art, NY

2001 Mercedes Matter died, December 4., Easthampton, Long Island, NY

With thanks to Alex Matter and Jeffrey Head.

THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF