Max Kisman
Understanding Simplicity
in Complex Typography

Text by Ahmad Alimuddin
Photographs by Ahmad Alimudin & Linda Rawin
July 1st 2009

 

“I think that the simplest way to describe Max Kisman work is, ‘creative graphics short hand designs using fonts for visual communications and computer graphics literacy. Max Kisman is an intellectual graphic designer” –Loreen Neville

Erasmus Huis Dutch Cultural Center in Jakarta on the 22nd of June 2009 held an exhibition and lecture entitled, ‘The Complexity of Simplicity in Typography, presented by Dutch graphic designer and international acclaimed illustrator Max Kisman. Since the 80s Max Kisman had been experimenting with Font type and images and is the co- founder of TYP/Typografisch Papier on typography.

In this exhibition and lecture, using visual aids on his, typographical designs, Max Kisman showed the audience the simplicity of a design from complexity. His work is characterized by bright colors and the effective use of shape and forms with fonts. Max elaborated on how to visualize complex information with the use of minimal typographical designs.

Designing Simple Posters with profound meanings

In Max Kisman illustrations, he demonstrated how designs can be created to express a situation or an event. For example, in this simple poster Max Kisman unique artistic graphic design style adheres to express the conflict between the Dutch and Belgium, which occurred years ago.

The poster depicts two man in one body (Dutch and Belgium) sawing themselves into separation.  The color scheme used in this picture is red, yellow and black symbolizing the flag of Belgium and the saw symbolizes conflict. This is a simple poster with a complex meaning. Max Kisman also experiments with the shape of the body form of the two men from fonts or letters. This is what the co- founder of Typography Papier has achieved in his remarkable, simple complex designs in forms, fonts, color creating an image that makes a statement or even to narrate a story.

 

 

 

Max Kisman designs are intelligently captivating, encompassing his own creativity with European art heritage although his father is an Indonesian and his mother a Dutch.  Using font’s types to create an image or to develop a graphic design to form an image and his work is definitely not Indonesian are creative metaphors belonging to this genius Max Kisman. 

In this poster Max Kisman again depicts his mastery of effective designs of complexity into simplicity. China and the United States in conflict over global issues. The countries are defined by the baseball caps used and arguments seen in the position of the hands. Fantastic! 

 

 

In his lecture, Max Kisman went on to explain what typography is about and how fonts can used to create a design useful especially for posters, advertisements, catalogs. Typography sets designers apart from the artist. Once a person understood Typography which is incorporated into a total design, the power and the beauty of one’s work will enhance the creativity.

 

Netherlands Postal stamps created by graphic designer Master Max Kisman 

In Max kisman postal stamps design for the Netherlands, the master created stamps for the red cross, Christmas, change of address. Max shows the use of fonts as having shoulders, arms, face and nature. Simple creativity illustration graphic short hand designs.

About Max Kisman

Max Kisman (the Netherlands, 1953) graduated in 1977 in graphic design, typography, illustration and animation at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and started his own business in graphic design and illustration for various publishers, institutes and museums.

Pioneered with digital technology in the mid 80s for magazine design, images and typography (Vinyl Music magazine, Language Technology magazine), posters (Paradiso Amsterdam) and the Red Cross stamps for the Dutch Postal Service. In 1986, he co-founded TYP/Typografisch Papier on typography and art. In 1989 he was honored with an individual grant from the Foundation for Fine Arts, Design and Architecture, The Netherlands, to explore aspects of personal ‘Visual graphic symbolism and iconography’. Worked and lived in Barcelona from 1989-1992. Besides explorative painting and various art projects and installations, he digitized various typefaces for FontShop International in Berlin, Germany. Between 1984 and 1988, he taught graphic design and typography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, College of Arts and Crafts in Utrecht, and the Post Graduate Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht.

From 1992-1997 he was chief graphic designer for VPRO television in the Netherlands. In 1994 he became involved in interactive media for VPRO-digital and HotWired.

In 1995 he received the Award of the public in the Design Awards of the City of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, for his television graphics for VPRO tv, The Netherlands.

In 1996 he received the prestigious H.M. Werkman Award for graphic Design from the Amsterdam Foundation of the Arts, The Netherlands, for his television graphics in 1996 for VPRO TV Network, The Netherlands.

In 1997 Wired Television in San Francisco hired him as art director. Currently he lives in Mill Valley, California. He works for various clients in the US and the Netherlands and teaches graphic design, motion graphics and animation at the College of Arts and Crafts in San Francisco and typeface design at the Extension of the University Berkely in San Francisco.

Clients include: VPRO Broadcasting Networks (NL), WIRED Magazine (USA), HotWired (USA), Leo Burnett Technology Group (USA), BBDH (UK), San Francisco Opera (USA), KPN Research (NL), PTT Postal Service (NL), Paradiso (NL), Deen vd Zaken Films (NL), FontShop USA (USA), FontShop International (D), Le Nouveau Salon des Cents (F), MTV Interactive (USA), Advies Overheid.nl Consultancy (NL), Museum Overholland (NL), International Film Festival Roterdam (NL), The Wine Country Film Festival (USA), Submarine Interactive (NL), AIGA San Francisco (USA)

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