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Shin Matsunaga graphic design prints and exhibition catalog

 Collection
Identifier: KA-0025-01

Abstract

Set of 115 prints of the work of graphic designer Shin Matsunaga (1940- ), as well as the catalog for a 1989 exhibition of his work at Parsons School of Design.

Dates

  • 1989

Creator

Extent

0.9 Cubic Feet (1 oversize box)

Language of Materials

English

Scope and Contents of Collection

Contains two copies of the exhibition catalog, a glossy event announcement, and two sets of color prints of exhibited works featuring captions and credits. Each set of 115 prints is divided into two portfolios.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use. Please contact archivist@newschool.edu for appointment.

Use Restrictions

To publish images of material from this collection, permission must be obtained in writing from the New School Archives. Please contact: archivist@newschool.edu.

Biographical Note

Shin Matsunaga was born in Tokyo in 1940. He studied design at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, worked in the advertising division of Shiseido, and, in 1971, established his own eponymous graphic design firm.

Matsunaga has designed for corporate, non-profit, and governmental clients. In addition to receiving advertising design awards, Matsunaga's work has been exhibited internationally and is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

From October 18 until November 17, 1989, Parsons School of Design hosted an exhibition featuring samples of Matsunaga's graphic design work. The exhibition is notable for provoking a university-wide debate on censorship after an instructor defaced an item he perceived to be racist.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Probably acquired by Parsons School of Design's Adam and Sophie Gimbel Design Library after the Shin Matsunaga exhibition in 1989, and later transferred to the Archives.

Related Materials

The David C. Levy records (PC.01.04.01) include a letter from New School President Jonathan Fanton to the university community regarding protest against one of Matsunaga's works in this exhibit. The exhibition catalog is available in the New School Libraries.

Title
Guide to the Shin Matsunaga graphic design prints and exhibition catalog
Status
Completed
Author
New School Archives and Special Collections Staff
Date
2009
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin