In the beginning: Paula Scher
“In the Beginning” is an ongoing series dedicated to providing snapshots of how various designers were inspired to enter the creative industry. Paula Scher is a Partner at Pentagram in New York.
What is your earliest design inspiration/impression?
When I was only five, I used to sit and stare at the album cover for the Broadway show South Pacific starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza. Their heads were each fitted into the side of an anchor. I think Alex Steinweiss may have designed it. I stared at it because I didn’t know what an anchor was, and I wondered why their heads were shaped funny. I thought that they were cut out in a spade shape, like on playing cards.
What was the first project you worked on as a professional designer?
My first professional design job came when I was about 16. My friend Carolyn’s father, Fred Karpin, was a bridge expert. He used to write “Karpin on Bridge” in the Washington Post. He asked me to design a book jacket for his new book. I drew figures from playing cards. Carolyn was jealous that her dad gave me the job and has never really forgiven either of us.
What is the most memorable/meaningful project you’ve worked on to date?
The Pubic Theater remains my most meaningful project, and after 15 years, it’s proved to be a very enduring relationship.