Edward Fella

I visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and looked at some prints by graphic designer Edward Fella. Fella was born in Detroit, Michigan and started out studying commercial art and typography before moving on to create his own art. Fella currently teaches at CalArts in Valencia. Many of the works on display at LACMA were flyers and commissioned works by Fella that showcase his innovative approach to design. His work has an emphasis on typography and deconstruction. All of his prints, including the flyer on the left, are offset lithographs, a process in which the artist transfers an image from a metal plate onto a roller, and then to the print media.

The print on the right, entitled Fat Face, is the only print on display that didn't appear to be commissioned. It is evident that even when Fella moved on commercial art, the style and themes he developed carried over to his more personal work. The title of the print is most likely a reference to the typeface used in the piece; typography remained an important element in his non-commercial work. 
I really enjoyed viewing Fella's prints. There are aspects of his design work that have influenced many other graphic designers and artists, so it was great to view the source of that influence. I hope to someday become better acquainted with processes like offset printing that I could possibly use in my own work. 

-Scarlet