Join NSA, National Ski Association

Herbert Bayer
$85.00
Size

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details
Artist Statement

Join NSA, National Ski Association was a promotional poster designed by Austrian-American artist Herbert Bayer (1900-1985). Bayer moved to Aspen, Colorado in 1946, becoming an instrumental architect and designer for the resort and the Aspen Institute. A Bauhaus-trained print and typography designer, Bayer was enlisted by the National Ski Association (NSA, now known as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association) to promote membership to the club. Bayer’s design flourished not only as an ad for the association, but as a symbol of the Aspen lifestyle. His clean, stylized Bauhausian lines and simplistic color scheme presented a new and modern European style that lent itself well to the glamour of skiing and mountain getaways. As one reporter put it: “Herbert Bayer was modern Aspen’s original hype man”.

Why We Love It

This edition, perfect for the alpine aficionados in your life, isn't just a compelling summons to the summit. Join NSA, National Ski Association characterizes so much of what made Bayer’s work a perfect fit for building Aspen’s new (at the time) reputation. Tapping into his Bauhaus background, Bayer used clean, stylized strokes and just four primary colors—red, black, white and blue. Thick, curved lines starkly break up the solid blue space. The layout pushes the edge of expectation, with the most active visual elements toward the bottom of the frame. Forms are simplified, the skiers floating against a flat blue backdrop. This is about elegance, the sophistication of a downhill ski, the satisfying clarity of racing on a freshly groomed run. Skiing in Aspen, this design seems to say, is refreshingly modern—the most glamorous of snowy getaways. This Aspen has cool factor, in more ways than one ... Read more on the blog!

Details

+ Limited-edition, exclusive to 20x200
+ Museum quality: archival inks, 100% cotton rag paper unless noted
+ Handcrafted custom-framing is available

Our quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the images, not the printed image itself. We do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do we crop or resize the artists’ originals. All of our prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.

Medium

Museo Portfolio Rag

Edition Structure:
10"x8" | edition of 10
14"x11" | edition of 150
20"x16" | edition of 25
24"x20" | edition of 10
Artist - Herbert Bayer

Herbert Bayer

Herbert Bayer (1900-1985) was an Austrian-American graphic designer well known for his Bauhaus style in printing and advertising. A true jack-of-all-trades, Bayer was a skilled painter, photographer, sculptor, environmental and interior designer, typography and font designer, and architect. Bayer studied for four years at the Bauhaus under Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee, later becoming director of printing and advertising at the school. He left the Bauhaus in 1928 upon his appointment as art director of Vogue Berlin. Bayer remained in Germany until 1937, when works of his were included in the Nazi propaganda exhibition “Degenerate Art”, prompting him to flee.

In 1946, Bayer moved to Aspen, Colorado and began working as an architect, co-designing the Aspen Institute and restoring the Wheeler Opera House. However, it was his promotional posters for skiing that truly propelled his reputation as an artist and designer. After building a close friendship with American businessman Robert O. Anderson, Bayer became instrumental in the formation and development of the Atlantic Richfield Company Art Collection, which grew to nearly 30,000 works nationwide. Bayer’s personal collection of his own works were donated to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art upon his death.