Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies Opens New Exhibition and Store

Concept of a Visualist: Herbert Bayer’s World Geo-Graphic Atlas and Bayer Center Store opens June 20, 2023

Aspen, CO, June 6 – The Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies (the Bayer Center), located on the Aspen Institute campus, is pleased to present Concept of a Visualist: Herbert Bayer’s World Geo-Graphic Atlas, opening on June 20, 2023 on view through April 27, 2024. This exhibition examines Herbert Bayer’s World Geo-Graphic Atlas, a landmark work of visual education and modernist design which transformed subsequent geographic atlases and popular scientific illustrations. Five years in the making, it was first presented at the 1953 International Design Conference hosted by the Aspen Institute, therefore this exhibition marks the 70th anniversary of its publication.

 Herbert Bayer (1900–1985) was an Austrian-born artist and designer who studied and taught at the Bauhaus before emigrating from Germany to the U.S. in 1938. Commissioned by Container Corporation (CCA) president and Aspen Institute founder Walter Paepcke to create the atlas in honor of the 25th anniversary of CCA, Bayer’s imaginative approach to information design successfully merged scientific illustration and art.

“The commission to design the World Geo-Graphic Atlas provided Bayer opportunities to synthesize and develop the themes with which he had been previously engaged as a painter, illustrator, and exhibition designer,” states Benjamin Benus, exhibition co-curator and associate professor of art history at Loyola University New Orleans. “In this way, the atlas is emblematic of Bayer’s belief that the arts can integrate seemingly disparate aspects of life into a unified whole––a point that the Bayer Center is highlighting with this show.” 

Concept of a Visualist: Herbert Bayer’s World Geo-Graphic Atlas is a collaboration between Bayer expert Bernard Jazzar and Benus, author of the recently released book, Herbert Bayer’s World Geo-Graphic Atlas and Information Design at Mid-Century. Drawing on a wide range of original artworks, print media, and photographic documentation, the exhibition examines the sources, creative processes, and intellectual exchanges through which Bayer and his collaborators realized this pioneering work of art and science. With 4,000 illustrations and drawings and over 1300 maps, the 368-page atlas distills global geography and associated themes of astronomy, agriculture, economics and geology while also anticipating a prescient concern about the conservation of natural resources, population control, and global peace. Also on display are several artworks on loan from the Denver Art Museum, the Kirkland Museum and other institutions and private lenders that have rarely been exhibited, and some which have never been reproduced.

“This Aspen Institute campus-wide exhibition highlights a signature element of Herbert Bayer’s career, and will appeal to a broader audience, including art and design aficionados, cartographers, geographers, historians, political scientists, climatologists, and visual educators,” says Lissa Ballinger, acting director of the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies. “The Bayer Center’s inaugural exhibition focused on his work as a fine artist; this next installment focuses more on his graphic design expertise and the intersection of science and art. As we launch programmatic and educational initiatives, this is the perfect opportunity for teachers and students throughout the valley to engage with the Bayer Center with our interactive, multi-media presentations.”

In conjunction with the primary exhibition, Andrew Travers, the inaugural Penner Manager of Educational Programming, curated a year-long complementary educational presentation titled Charting Space: Herbert Bayer’s World Geo-Graphic Atlas at 70 in the Resnick Gallery located in the Doerr-Hosier Center, also on the Aspen Institute campus. Intended for visitors of all ages, but particularly K-12 students, the installation uses Bayer’s atlas as a springboard to explore current issues related to our world including, travel, natural resources, population, and conservation.

The Bayer Center Store - Open June 20, 2023

The Bayer Center Store will feature a rotating display of original, framed Herbert Bayer prints and curated retail items focused on modernist design influenced by the Bauhaus and Bayer. Merchandise will include custom apparel and books, jewelry, Bauhaus product re-editions, functional items for the home, personal accessories, games, and textiles. Every purchase made supports the Bayer Center’s initiatives and programming. 

Visitor Information

Open starting June 20, 2023

Tuesday–Sunday, 12–5 pm, free and open to the public

Free tours for the Bayer Center exhibition 12:30-1:30 pm Tuesday and Thursday. Please sign up in advance here.

More information is available at www.TheBayerCenter.org.