The Illustrator. 100 Best from around the World

For the last ten years, Steven Heller and Julius Wiedemann have traced the latest developments in illustration across the globe―and for all those who thought digital heralded the end of an era, they’re here to set the record straight.

There were extraordinary eras before mass media changed our viewing habits, back in the day when illustration was the most primary means of illuminating the word on paper, to today when we get our words and images on screens as small as a watch face. And in this environment, today’s designers and artists are holding their own brilliantly. Illustration is more free and varied than ever, and it is ubiquitous in all kinds of media from paper to screen, books, packages, clothing, cars, and restaurants.

This book celebrates the sheer quality, diversity, intensity, comedy, vivacity, and exceptionality of the work being created by illustrators right now. From veteran artists like Brad Holland, whose oblique and metaphorical paintings for the New York Times’ op-ed section revolutionized illustrative content in the 1970s, to up-and-coming stars like Robin Eisenberg, her pastel-skinned alien belles cruising in spaceships on indie-rock album covers, the 100 artists in this collection are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but they represent a compelling snapshot of the styles, techniques, and use of color by artists across the world. We dare you to pick your favorites.

Includes:

an introduction and foreword by editors Julius Wiedemann and Steven Heller

600 pages of brilliantly reproduced works

a biography for each artist detailing their background, philosophy, motivations, and contact details

an index of illustration agencies

Editorial Reviews

Review
«Pour le plus grand plaisir des amateurs comme des experts, les auteurs Steven Heller et Julius Wiedemann ont compilé plus de 600 oeuvres de 100 artistes qui bousculent, aujourd’hui encore, les codes de l’illustration. Il y a de quoi en prendre plein les miretes!»

«Ce livre est impressionnant tant par sa taille, son poids, que par le talent des illustrateurs qu’il répertorie sur 600 pages. Grâce ŕ une mise en page astucieuse, The Illustrator met en valeur les univers ainsi que les parcours des différents artistes.»

«Des travaux des 100 artistes sélectionnés se dégagent une grande liberté ainsi qu’une large palette de styles, de techniques et d’usages de la couleur. La reproduction des oeuvres étant d’excellente qualité.»

«Les éditions TASCHEN, qui font toujours référence en matičre de beaux-livres illustrés, le prouvent une nouvelle fois avec The Illustrator, un imposant ouvrage grand format… Une sélection de 100 artistes attend le lecteur, émerveillé ŕ chaque page.»

About the Author
Steven Heller has produced over 200 books on visual communication and published countless articles in international design magazines. Currently he is cofounder and cochair of the MFA Design program at the School of Visual Arts, New York.

Julius Wiedemann studied graphic design and marketing and was an art editor for newspapers and design magazines in Tokyo before joining TASCHEN in 2001. His titles include the Illustration Now! and Record Covers series, as well as the infographics collection and books about advertising and visual culture.