It's everywhere, including the moon (on the commemorative plaque left by Apollo 11 astronauts), Nike sneakers, the artworks of Barbara Kruger, Ed Ruscha, and Jenny Holzer, 2001: A Space Odyssey credits, Domino's Pizza boxes, Absolut Vodka bottles, and Red Bull cans. Richard Nixon used it for his presidential campaign, as did Hillary Clinton. Indeed, Futura is one of the most used fonts in the world today—the typeface of modern design—more so even than Helvetica. This fascinating book explores the cultural history and uses of a face that's so common you might not notice, until you start looking, and then you can't escape it. Douglas Thomas traces Futura from its Bauhaus-inspired origin in Paul Renner's 1924 design, to its current role as the go-to choice for corporate work, logos, motion pictures, and advertisements. Never Use Futura is illuminating, sometimes playful, reading, not just for type nerds, but for anyone interested in how typefaces are used, take on meaning, and become a language of their own.

This is a stunning examination of one of the most popular typefaces ever created, Futura. Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the story of Futura is a fascinating one. From its Bauhaus origins to its use as the first font on the moon in 1969, this book tells the story of how the typeface went from representing radicalism in design to dependability. It is durable and timeless, and is worthy of being rediscovered and celebrated.

The most in-depth and comprehensive survey of the life and career of one of the pioneering artists of the original graffiti generation. Having forged his graphic style painting subways in New York in the late 1970s, Futura was among the first graffiti artists to be shown in contemporary galleries in the early 1980s, where his paintings shared space with works by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Kenny Scharf. As the commercialization of street culture in the 1990s inspired collaborations with fashion and lifestyle brands, Futura's work moved toward a more refined expression of his abstract graffiti style. Commissions from era-defining brands such as A Bathing Ape, Stüssy, Supreme, and Mo' Wax saw his artwork canonized as an elemental component of the street aesthetic. Collected here, among never-before-published reproductions of earlier paintings and drawings, is an archive of personal photography and ephemera that reveals how integral Futura has been to the evolution of street art and culture. Guided through more than forty years of work, and with interviews with key players in Futura's career, this is at once a definitive monograph of a legend of contemporary art and an indispensable chapter in the history of graffiti.

"A collection of fascinating quotations from the legendary artist and graffiti pioneer"--

From the 1980s until today, including backstage images of the artist at work through the decades and his artworks. Catherine Carrie, who photographed Futura and the family over the course of 35 years, sharing it today to illustrate the life and art of one of the greatest artist nowadays. 'As abstract graffiti artist Futura opened doors to a new form of creativity, paving the road for the most important art movement of the century to blossom. His contribution and the way he inspired then generations of street artists turned him into an American legend. A legend who's very much alive and whose family spirit and values have never change, making him also one of the most gracious artists to work with' adds gallery owner Magda Danysz who has met with Futura in 1991 in her teenage years and has written numerous text about Futura's art.