Goodbye Ivan

While known primarily for his still-iconic corporate logos for the likes of Showtime and the Smithsonian, Ivan Chermayeff and his longtime design partner, Tom Geismar, created a host of posters, all of which livened up the streets of the 1970s, 80s, & 90s.

Perhaps his greatest poster series was crafted during the time when Mobil – another company for which he designed its logo – sponsored PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre. His compositions veered away from the fussy and the ornate, favoring instead simple illustrations in vibrant colors to best represent a given story.

Here you will see a selection of some of our favorite images by the artist, promoting both television series and New York institutions. The streets will be a little darker without Chermayeff.