Tamara de Lempicka at de Young

With works that exuded cool elegance and transgressive sensuality, Tamara de Lempicka (1894–1980) helped define Art Deco. Her paintings captured the glamour and vitality of postwar Paris and the cosmopolitan sheen of Hollywood celebrity. This exhibition at the de Young is the first major museum retrospective of Lempicka in the United States.

Lempicka’s work is characterized by bold lines, geometric, and angular shapes. Her figures possess a volumetric presence and monumental scale within the frame, often situated against the backdrop of a looming cityscape.

To create a backdrop for the graphic identity, we borrowed visual cues from the kind of narrow hypervertical linearity found in Art Deco architecture, vertical slat blinds, and corrugated glass. Vertical panels functioned as a backdrop and recurring visual motif within the marketing campaign and the exhibition space.

Because the vertical panel gradient referenced the Art Deco period, we wanted to contrast that by using a contemporary sans serif that brings this exhibition into the present day. For the title lock-up, JL Pirelli lent itself well to a tight stacked orientation which gives it a clean and concise expression.