Harder work impresses MoMA

BY RAFFY BOUDJIKANIAN

raffy.boudjikanian@transcontinental.ca

Beaconsfield graphic artist and designer Rolf Harder will soon see some of his work enter New York City's Museum of Modern Art permanent collection.

"I was pleased because, as they said, there's plenty of competition to get into the museum," Harder told The Chronicle.

"They must have liked some pieces," he joked, when asked how his work was selected over that competition.

A graduate of the Hamburg Academy of Fine Arts, Harder settled permanently in Canada in 1959, when he also opened his studio.

A large part of his career has been dedicated to designing logos, symbols and posters for various companies and branches of the Canadian government. "The Formula 1 car racers, I designed their symbol, for example," he said.

Harder is also behind the English Montreal School Board's older logo.

The museum's acquisition of Harder's work includes designs for posters, publications, books and some pharmaceutical advertisements, he said.

Harder said he was the one who approached the museum with the idea. "I had heard from some other institutions and museums that there was some interest in graphic design," he said.

Harder said he places an emphasis on "clear communication," and "saying the most with the least" in his work.

Now semi-retired, Harder said that the marketplace has become a lot competitive in Canada. "The spread of computers permits amateurs to design their own work. It almost looks professional," he said.

According to Harder, several companies now prefer doing an in-house job with the available technology rather than hire professional designers or artists.

He now spends time with his wife, reads and paints on the side, something he has always done but never for a career. He is finishing up illustrations for a children's book written by his son, a journalist, he said.