Some will say he is “original,” others might lean towards “transgressive.” But all agree on one point: Stefan Sagmeister is a complete artist with incredible talent, a true “Pop Star” in his field. The one who started by making album covers and posters for Lou Reed, Talking Heads, Brian Eno, and the Rolling Stones, no less, has established himself over three decades as one of the most creative artists of his generation. He doesn’t hesitate to photograph himself, create a banana wall, stage himself, blend “handmade” and new technologies to create ever more inspired works. He kindly agreed to answer our questions, and we thank him for that. A meeting with an artist for whom beauty is not just a concept but a reality he puts into practice.
How did you become a designer? Was it a childhood dream or did it happen later?
I started writing for a small magazine called Alphorn when I was fifteen, and quickly discovered that I enjoyed layout even more than writing. Then, at 18, I visited New York City and immediately knew that’s where I wanted to live. Having grown up in a small town in the Austrian Alps, I now wanted to be in a big metropolis.
When I founded Sagmeister Inc. in 1993, our offering started with a small range of products, notably for graphics in the music world.. It has expanded over the years to include all supplies for documentary films.
Can you describe your way of working? How do you create?
Ideas come from everywhere except other graphic designers, of course! I can be inspired by many things, a train ride, a piece of music, and then what’s interesting is to translate that into the world of design.
I can feel truly happy while working, especially when I’m engaged in craftsmanship where I can lose myself. And about working on trains: that forward movement, the anticipation of what a new place will be, the ability to move around the train with the landscape unfolding all around, all of that helps increase my sense of well-being.
How would you describe your style?
We have a philosophy regarding our style within our studio: open-mindedness.
I found that paying attention to style improves our well-being, so why not pay attention to it. I also realized that by changing our own style on every project, we stay more on the stylistic surface and risk copying styles developed by others. As I get older, I increasingly seek an emotional response that comes less from idea-based work and more from formal, visceral, and stylized design. Idea-driven work often tends to be "jockey," spiritual at the start but can also become somewhat boring over time.
What is most important in design today?
Beauty! We found that beautiful things work much better. I often create important additional features that purely practical pieces could not offer. And it might be tempting to fall into the misconception that beauty will matter less in a faster world, because the current speed reduces the chances to stop and smell the roses.
Our scientific advisor, Dr. Helmut Leder, shows that beauty can actually be seen as a shortcut to conserve energy and make decisions unconsciously, without contagious thought, which means beauty plays an even more central role in faster times.
Many design professionals, whether in architecture, product, or digital design, don't really take the concept of beauty very seriously. Many consider it superfluous and instead focus on function. I firmly believe that focusing solely on functionality often leads to work that doesn't work at all; the social housing projects of the 1950s and 60s were a great example: the goal was to group as many people as possible into dwellings that were not made for them. In fact, they had to be demolished twenty years later.
My old friend and mentor Tibor Kalman used to say, "I have nothing against beauty, I just don't find it interesting." At first, I agreed with him, but I eventually changed my mind; I think beauty can be a fantastic means of communication. It helps to become more sensitive and emotional.
Can you tell us about the people who inspire you?
When I was a student, I was completely obsessed with a book about Storm Thorgerson and the work he did for Hipgnosis, the British design collective that created all the album covers for Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and many others. They developed the most incredible ideas and used artisans to realize them perfectly.
Even now, I’m always eager to see James Turrell’s new installations at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMoCA). His exhibition at the MAC in Vienna, twenty years ago, remains the most influential and incredible show I’ve ever seen.
Recently, I was very inspired by an interview with Ann Hamilton in which she questions creativity and mentions that it’s not a term she wants to talk about, but flexibility is something she’s much more interested in.
What do you think about decoration? Is it something important to you? And what style will we find in your home?
One of the most important and influential Austrian architects is Adolf Loos, who wrote a book called "Ornament and Crime" in which he described people designing new ornaments as criminals. He thought it would be criminal to spoil craftsmanship by forcing creators to put ornaments everywhere. Twenty years after writing this book, he designed a rather magnificent set of glasses with very subtle ornamentation for the Austrian company Lobmeyr, which has continued to produce them for the past 80 years.
He included a letter with the drawings where he specified ornaments to be cut into the glasses: He suggested small illustrations like butterflies, the naked human form, small animals, etc. So apparently the author of "Ornament and Crime" still liked ornamentation. But he didn’t have the opportunity to finish these ornaments himself, so Leonid Rath, the owner of the Lobmeyr company, commissioned my studio 80 years later. We produced images for a set of 14 glasses called Paradise and Hell, featuring ornaments representing the seven heavenly virtues and the seven deadly sins.
Actually, the struggle is not between simplicity and complexity, minimalism and ornamentation, but between what is lovingly designed and what is made without care. Beauty is part of what it means to be human!
You are an Austrian living in New York. What is your relationship with these two countries?
Most of my education took place in Austria until I was 24. Since my brain kept growing during those years, I’m sure most of my influences and deep connections were formed there, at that time. And even though I have lived in and loved New York for thirty years, I am still an Austrian citizen and perhaps more importantly, I truly feel Austrian.
What is your favorite dish? Is it Austrian or American?
For most people, their favorite dish is one they grew up with. Culinary tastes are influenced 80% by culture, while those of a partner are 80% influenced by DNA. Mine come from western Austria, the cheese Spaetzle, very small dumplings.
https://jecuisinedoncjesuis.com/spatzle-aux-fromages/
Do you have a motto to share?
I have plenty, here are my twenty favorites:
- Helping others helps me.
- Having guts always works for me.
- Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid. I have to live now.
- Organizing a charity group is surprisingly easy.
- Not being honest always works against me.
- Everything I do always comes back to me.
- Taking responsibility is suffocating.
- Drugs feel good at first and become a hindrance later.
- Over time, I get used to everything and start taking it for granted.
- Money does not make me happy.
- My dreams make no sense.
- Keeping a journal promotes personal development.
- Trying to look good limits my life.
- Luxury products are better appreciated in small doses.
- Worrying solves nothing.
- Complaining is stupid. Either act or forget.
- Everyone thinks they are right.
- If I want to explore a new professional direction, it helps to try it out myself first.
- Low expectations are a good strategy.
- Anyone who is honest is interesting.
Interviews collected by Edith SELLIER PASCAL
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