Dan Reisinger (; August 3, 1934 – November 26, 2019) was an Israeli graphic designer and artist.

Biography

Reisinger was born in

Kanjiža Kanjiža ( sr-Cyrl, Кањижа, pronounced ) formerly Stara Kanjiža ( sr-cyrl, Стара Кањижа; ; , formerly ''Kanizsa'') is a town and municipality located in the North Banat District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. Kan ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, into a family of painters and decorators active in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

and the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

. Most of his family members were murdered in

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

, including his father. As a teenager, he became active in the Partisan Pioneer Brigade and, with his mother and stepfather, immigrated to Israel in 1949. Reisinger initially lived in a transit camp and then worked as a house painter in order to earn money from almost any source. In 1950 at age 16, he was accepted as a student—its youngest up to the time—at the

Bezalel Academy of Art and Design Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design () is a public college of design and art located in Jerusalem. Established in 1906 by Jewish painter and sculptor Boris Schatz, Bezalel is Israel's oldest institution of higher education and is considered the ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

, there to 1954. During mandatory service in the Israeli Air Force from 1954, he was the art director of its books and other publications. While there, he attended a class on postage-stamp design taught by

Abram Games Abram Games (29 July 191427 August 1996) was a British graphic designer. The style of his work – refined but vigorous compared to the work of contemporaries – has earned him a place in the pantheon of the best of 20th-century graphic desi ...

, who became his mentor and friend. Subsequently, he traveled, studied, and worked in Europe: from 1957 in

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

and then onto

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

where, 1964–66, studied stage and three-dimensional design at the

Central School of Art and Design The Central School of Art and Design was a school of fine and applied arts in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1896 by the London County Council as the Central School of Arts and Crafts. ...

, designed posters for Britain's

Royal Mail Royal Mail Group Limited, trading as Royal Mail, is a British postal service and courier company. It is owned by International Distribution Services. It operates the brands Royal Mail (letters and parcels) and Parcelforce Worldwide (parcels) ...

, and worked for other clients while making intermittent visits to Israel. Then in 1966, he returned permanently to Israel and established a studio in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...

and later in

Giv'atayim Givatayim () is a city in Israel east of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan area. Givatayim was established in 1922 by pioneers of the Second Aliyah. In it had a population of . The name of the city comes from the "two hills" on w ...

. His work has been included in numerous international group and one-person exhibitions. A large number of social-, political-, and cultural-theme posters and other graphic design, such as calendars, packaging, and more than 150 logos are superior to much of his fine art. He designed a new logo for

El Al EL AL Israel Airlines Ltd. (), trading as EL AL (, "Upwards", "To the Skies", or "Skywards", stylized as ELAL; ) is the flag carrier of Israel. Since its inaugural flight from Geneva to Tel Aviv in September 1948, the airline has grown to serve ...

airlines (1972), and the 50-meter-long aluminum-cast relief (1978) of a biblical quotation in Hebrew on the exterior of the

Yad Vashem Yad Vashem (; ) is Israel's official memorial institution to the victims of Holocaust, the Holocaust known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (). It is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Jews who were murdered; echoing the stories of the ...

, Israel's official museum/memorial to

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

victims, in Jerusalem. He has also designed logos for the Tel Aviv Museum of Arts, Tefen Museum of Arts, and

Habima Theater The Habima Theatre ( ''Te'atron HaBima'', lit. "The Stage Theatre") is the national theatre of Israel and one of the first Hebrew language theatres. It is located in Habima Square in the center of Tel Aviv. History Habima was founded as an ...

(הבימה - התיאטרון הלאומי) the symbol and posters of the 9th-15th

Maccabiah Games The Maccabiah Games (, or משחקי המכביה העולמית; sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics") is an international multi-sport event with summer and winter sports competitions featuring Jews and Israelis regardless of religion ...

(מַכַּבִּיָּה), and the logo for a non-profit organisation for children with cancer in Israel, the

Hayim Association The HAYIM Association for Children with Cancer in Israel () is a non-governmental organization that works on a voluntary basis to provide relief and support for pediatric oncology patients in Israel. Etymology " Hayim" (also transcribed as Ha ...

(1986). His widely published self-produced “Again?” poster (1993) features a Nazi swastika (which Reisinger incorrectly made to face left) breaks apart to 5 pointed red Star of soviet union in reference to the possible dreaded repeat of the Holocaust. The influences on his work—itself more widely focused than solely on social and political issues—have come from colorists, Minimalists, Constructivists, and humorists. He claims one of his more significant contributions has been to stretch the visual and communicative possibilities of Hebrew letters through his symbols and logos. Reisinger is one of Israel's most-accomplished graphic designers; the others include

Franz Kraus Franz Kraus (; also known as Franz Krausz; 13 May 1905, Sankt Pölten, Austria – 1998, Tel Aviv, Israel) was an Israeli graphic designer. Biography 1910–23, Kraus grew up in Graz, Austria, and claimed that his favorite place was the art studi ...

(1905–98),

Gabriel and Maxim Shamir Gabriel Shamir (; 1909–1992) and Maxim Shamir (; 1910–1990) were Latvian-Israeli graphic designers. They designed Israel's official state emblems, medals, stamps and currency notes. Biography Guttel (Gabriel) and Maxim Sheftelowitz (later S ...

(1909–92, 1910–90), and David Tartakover (b. 1944). Reisinger designed the three IDF decorations the

Medal of Valor This list of medals for bravery is an index to articles about notable medals awarded for bravery or valor. These medals, usually associated with military forces, police forces, or other public safety entities, are given to personnel who have serv ...

, the

Medal of Courage The Medal of Courage (, ''Itur HaOz'') is an Israeli military decoration. The medal is awarded for carrying out acts of gallantry at the risk of life, during combat duty. The medal was established in 1970 (though it has been given retroactively) ...

and the Medal of Distinguished Service.

Recent exhibitions

* 2004 A traveling exhibition of posters, Hungary "Ways," a traveling exhibition of selected design works, prints, drawings, and paintings: * 2005 Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest * 2005 Cvijeta Zuzoric Pavilion, Belgrade * 2006

Ion Mincu Ion Mincu (; December 20, 1852 – December 6, 1912 in Bucharest) was a Romanian architect known for having a leading role in the development of the Romanian Revival style. Most of his projects are located in Bucharest, including his main work ...

Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Bucharest * 2007 Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), Beijing * 2008 Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM), Taiwan (“The Art of Design” retitled from “Ways”)

Awards

1954 Herman Struck Prize for poster design,

Bezalel Academy Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design () is a public college of design and art located in Jerusalem. Established in 1906 by Jewish painter and sculptor Boris Schatz, Bezalel is Israel's oldest institution of higher education and is considered the ...

of Art and Design, Jerusalem 1957 - First prize for the poster of the Palais International de la Science,

Expo 58 Expo 58, also known as the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (; ), was a world's fair held on the Heysel/Heizel Plateau in Brussels, Belgium, from 17 April to 19 October 1958. It was the first major world's fair registered under the Bureau Internati ...

, Brussels 1974 Nordau Prize for Design 1981 Herzl Prize for Contribution to Design in Israel 1984 First Alumni Prize, Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem 1998

Israel Prize The Israel Prize (; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor. History Prior to the Israel Prize, the most significant award in the arts was the Dizengoff Prize and in Israel ...

for design, the first award of such prize to a designer Knights' Cross of the Order of Merit, Republic of Hungary

Bibliography

* Goldfine, Gil. "Dan Reisinger." ''Graphis'' magazine (vol. 47, 1991, pp. 80–91) * Leu, Olaf. "Dan Resinger: A Champion of Visual Culture." ''Novum'' magazine (1996, pp. 60–67) * Tszorf, Maurice. "Color, Form, Function: Dan Reisinger's New Residence in Caeserea," ''Graphis'' magazine (vol. 56, no. 329, 2000, pp. 66–75) * Bing'nan, Yu (introduction). ''Dan Reisinger'' (text in English and Chinese), Beijing: Tsinghua (2000). , * "Q&A with Dan Reisinger," ''Graphis'' magazine (no. 344, March/April 2003) * Serov, Dr. Serge, and Anikst, Michail, A Russian-language book of Reisinger's work in the series "The Stars of Graphic Design," Moscow: Alma Mater (2008)

Biography

Recent exhibitions

Awards

Bibliography

References

See also