Erik Nitsche

Erik Nitsche (* July 7, 1908 in Lausanne, Switzerland, † November 14, 1998 in New York City, USA) was a living in the U.S. Swiss graphic designers and graphic designers, industrial designers and graphic designers specializing in commercial art and internationally well known for his poster art.

Life and work

Erik Nitsche studied in Lausanne, Munich and Paris. In Paris he worked from 1929 to 1932 when the printing Draeger Frères, and later as a freelance graphic artist. He moved in 1934 to New York, where he began a successful career as a graphic designer and art director. In the early 1960s he return to Europe, first to Geneva, where he founded the publishing company ENI (Erik Nitsche International) and produced illustrated in the following years, books on historical topics and engaged in the design of children's books between 1965 and 1980 lived he, and later for about 10 years in Munich, before he returned to Paris in 1996 in the United States.

Erik Nitsche was a pioneer in the design of books, annual reports and other printed materials, which were characterized by great attention to details and outstanding elegance of a simple presentation. His trademark was a clear design, brilliant colors, a smart typography and adherence to certain geometric fundamentals. He was artistic consultant of American department stores and international airlines, as well as art director of the monthly magazine " Record Review ". From 1950 to 1954 he worked for the Museum of Modern Art, 20th Century Fox and Decca Records operates.

Nitsche is very well known for its relations with the company General Dynamics, which began in 1953. He designed a series of posters, corporate identity, annual reports and advertising the company. He was hired as an art director for General Dynamics, and was also responsible for the design of the technical details for such things as hydraulic systems and cross sections of aircraft. In 1964, some of his work for General Dynamics at the documenta III in Kassel in the Department graphics were shown.

Literature and sources

• Documenta III. International Exhibition; Catalogue: Volume 1: Paintings and Sculpture; Volume 2: Hand drawings; Volume 3: Industrial design, graphic; Kassel / Cologne 1964