Pat Kirkham: Saul Bass, a Life in Film and Design

Pat Kirkham is Professor of Decorative Arts, Design and Culture at the Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and Culture in New York, and a Senior Research Fellow at Kingston University London. Earlier in her career, she focused on furniture and interior design, and the issues of gender and class within the design realm. More recently, Kirkham has turned her attention to design and film, with works including Charles and Ray Eames (1998) and Women Designers in the USA 1900-2000 (2001). Her latest work, Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design, which was designed by Saul's daughter, Jennifer Bass, and written by Kirkham, is the first book ever to be published on one of the greatest designers of the 20th century. Bass' designs permeate every facet of modern American life: in addition to designing the iconic posters for Vertigo and The Man with the Golden Arm, Bass also designed the logos for AT&T, United Airlines and Quaker Oats. Kirkham talks with Elvis about Saul Bass' wide breadth of influence, from Hitchcock, to Redford, to Scorsese, as well as the fascinating work relationship he maintained with his wife and collaborator, Elaine.