Anton Stankowski

Biography

Advertising, typography, photography. Born 18 June 1906 in Gelsenkirchen (near Essen). Apprenticed as a decorator. 1927: studied applied art at the Folkwangschule, Essen: a teacher was Max Burchartz. Influenced by Constructivism and Bauhaus teachings; from 1930 used photograms. 1929-37: commercial artist in Zurich, studio head of advertising agency; influenced Max Bill, Richard Lohse, Herbert Matter and others. 1938: forced to leave Switzerland as his residency permit had expired, he established a freelance studio in Stuttgart. 1940-8: military service; prisoner of war in Russia, returning to Germany in 1948. From 1948: Editor of the Stuttgarter Illustrierte. 1964: jury member, Typomundus 20. Won numerous awards for his advertising work., including Harry-Graf-Kessler Prize (1998) 1983: established the Stankowski Foundation which awards prizes and awards to designers and artists. Died 11 December 1998 in Esslingen/Neckar.

Writings by

  • ‘9th Triennial in Milan, 1951’, Gg, Jan. 1952, pp. 42-9
  • ‘A successful attempt’, Gg, Jan. 1952, p. 50
  • ‘A holiday for symbols’, Gg, March 1952, pp. 56-7
  • ‘Asta Ruth, Stuttgart’ (illustrator), Gg, July 1953, pp. 2-9
  • ‘Xth Triennial in Milan’, Gg, Dec. 1954, pp. 32-47
  • ‘Zweifarbige Drucksachen’, Der Polygraph, 20 Aug. 1958, supplement
  • ‘Function and image/On the work of Anton Stankowski’, Gg, Oct. 1961, pp. 2-11
  • ‘Photographie in der Werbung’, Polygraph Jahrbuch, 1964
  • ‘Rationalisierung durch geplante Werbegraphik’, Polygraph Jahrbuch, 1965, pp. 181-8
  • Funktion und ihre Darstellung in der Werbegrafik (Visual presentation of invisible processes), Teufen: Arthur Niggli Ltd, and London: Tiranti, 1967
  • WWGA, 1982
  • Frei und Angewandt 1925-1995 (Free and applied art)(in German and English), Berlin: Ernst & Sohn, 1997
  • Stankowski Photos, Hatje Cantz, 2003.

Writings about

  • 1951-9: Hans Neuburg, ‘Anton Stankowski’, Gg, July 1951, pp. 10-22 (posters)
  • Eberhard Hölscher, ‘Notification [Report] of an exhibition in Stuttgart’, Gg, June 1952, pp. 45-9
  • ‘Poster competition. 5. Internationale Bodensee-Messe, Friedrichshafen’, Graphik, 1954, 2, p. 96
  • ‘HK’, ‘Die Sparwerbung von heute verhilft dazu’, Graphik, 1954, 1, pp. 20-27, esp. pp. 22-3
  • Ludwig Ebenhöh, ‘Auto-propaganda [Self-promotion] of newspapers and periodicals’, Gg, April 1954, pp. 10-29
  • brief biography, Gg, May 1954, p. 55
  • ‘Photograms by Anton Stankowski’, Gg, Sept. 1954, pp. 34-9
  • Ludwig Ebenhöh, ‘Savings banks advertise’, Gg, March 1955, pp. 42-3
  • E. Hölscher, ‘Special postage stamps issued by the German Post Office in 1955’, Gg, Dec. 1955, pp. 8-13
  • E. Hölscher, ‘The best German posters of 1955’, Gg, Aug. 1956, pp. 18-25
  • E. Hölscher, ‘Anton Stankowski’, Gg, Sept. 1956, pp. 12-23
  • Gerda Finsterer-Stuber, Marken und Signete, Stuttgart: Julius Hoffmann, 1957
  • ‘Calendar design’, Graphik, Feb. 1957, p. 26
  • Vollmer, 1958
  • E. Hölscher, ‘Advertising linoleum’ (AS ads for Deutsche Linoleum-Werke), Gg, March 1958, pp. 26-7
  • Richard P. Lohse, ‘The influence of modern art on contemporary graphic design’, New Graphic Design, Sept. 1958
  • Erich Pfeiffer-Belli, ‘The exhibition programmes of the German Council of Art’, Gg, March 1959, pp. 48-53
  • E. Hölscher, ‘Calendar review 1958/9’, Gg, July 1959, pp. 18-25
  • Max Burchartz, ‘Commercial graphic artists as designers’ (printed fabrics for Pausa), Gg, Aug. 1959, pp. 36-41
  • 1960-75: E. Hölscher, ‘On the advertising of the Deutsche Zeitung’ (Stuttgart), Gg, Jan. 1960, pp. 46-9
  • E. Hölscher, ‘German posters 1959/60’, Gg, Aug. 1960, pp. 10-19
  • Fritz Seitz, ‘Stankowski’ (interview), Graphis 98, 1961, pp. 488-93, 541-2
  • WW[QUERY], 1962
  • E. Hölscher, ‘A new German TV-station symbol’ (competition), Gg, June 1963, pp. 54-6
  • Heiri Steiner, ‘AGI’ (report on June conference), Graphis 115, 1964, pp. 430-35
  • note on AS’s article, ‘Photographie in der Werbung’ in Polygraph Jahrbuch, 1964, in Gg, April 1964, p. 68
  • Hans Neuburg, ‘Progressive photos from the Thirties’, Neue Grafik, Feb. 1965
  • An International Survey of Press Advertising, London: Thames & Hudson/André Deutsch, 1966
  • Funktion und ihre Darstellung in der Werbegrafik, Teufen AR: Niggli, 1967
  • note on AS’s Funktion und ihre Darstellung in der Werbegrafik, in Graphis 129, 1967, p. 96
  • Eugen Gomringer and Günther Wirth, Konkretes von Anton Stankowski. Malerei und visuelle Information, Stuttgart: Hatje, 1974
  • 1976-present: Max Condula, ‘Stankowski + Partner’ (corporate identity of Bayern-Versicherung), novum, July 1978, pp. 47-53
  • Eckhard Neumann, ‘The visual image of the Deutsche Bank’, Graphis 225, 1983, pp. 56-65
  • Stephan von Wiese, ed., Anton Stankowski, das Gesamtwerk. Die Einheit von freier und angewandter Kunst 1925-82, Stuttgart: Hatje, c1983 (includes bibliography)
  • Josef Müller-Brockman, review of Stephan von Wiese, Anton Stankowski, das Gesamtwerk…, in Graphis 232, 1984, pp. 86, 89
  • Volker Rattemeyer, ed., Anton Stankowski. Aspekte des Gesamtwerks (exh. cat.), Kassel: Gesamthochschul-Bibliothek Kassel, c1986
  • Kurt Weidemann, ‘posternovum’ (posters by Hans Hillman, Günther Kieser, Anton Stankowski), novum, Jan. 1980, pp. 44-9
  • Anton Stankowski (exh. cat.), Stuttgart: Hatje, c1991
  • review of Frei und Angewandt, TM, 1998, 1, p. 32
  • Meggs, 1998
  • Herbert W. Kapitzki, Für Anton Stankowski, Ludwigsburg: Avedition, 2000
  • Stankowski Photos, Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, 2003 (includes biblio and brief biog.)
  • Kerry William Purcell, review of Stankowski Photos, in baseline, 2003, 14, p. 3
  • Benezit, 2006.

Exhibitions

  • London
  • Lausanne
  • Berlin, 1954
  • Stuttgart, 1956 (group)
  • Gallery 303, New York, 1964
  • Gesamthochschul-Bibliothek, Kassel, c1986
  • Galerie der Stadt Stuttgart, c1991.