Ed Fella is an artist, educator and graphic designer whose work has had an important influence on contemporary typography. He practiced professionally as a commercial artist in Detroit for 30 years before receiving an MFA in Design from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1987. He has since devoted his time to teaching at the California Institute for the Arts and his own unique self-published work which has appeared in many design publications and anthologies. In 1997 he received the Chrysler Award and in 1999 an Honorary Doctorate from CCS in Detroit. His work is in the National Design Museum and MOMA in New York.
His recently published book Edward Fella: Letters on America, Photographs and Lettering gives insight into his idiosyncratic world by combining and juxtaposing examples of his unique hand lettering with his photographs of found vernacular lettering. |
Ed Fella has paid his dues to the design profession. He spent 30 years as a commercial artist in Detroit. During that time he experimented with typography and gave lectures to students at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. The interaction with students inspired him to attend the Academy as a graduate student himself and earn his masters degree. In 1987 he began teaching design at the California Institute of the Arts, where he still teaches today.
His spare time has been devoted to his own personal experimentation, which, for the most part, he self-publishes. His has been awarded an honorary doctorate from CCS in Detroit, the AIGA medal and has been accepted into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His style of personal, whimsical and extremely detailed typography has influenced the development of much of modern typography.
His spare time has been devoted to his own personal experimentation, which, for the most part, he self-publishes. His has been awarded an honorary doctorate from CCS in Detroit, the AIGA medal and has been accepted into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His style of personal, whimsical and extremely detailed typography has influenced the development of much of modern typography.