Gastrotypographicalassemblage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gastrotypographicalassemblage |
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| Artist | Lou Dorfsman |
| Year | 1966 |
| Type | Wood typography |
| Dimensions | 11 m × 2.6 m (35 ft × 8.5 ft) |
| Location | CBS Building, New York City |
Gastrotypographicalassemblage is a very large art piece made of wood letters. It measures about 35 feet long and 8.5 feet tall. This unique artwork was designed by Lou Dorfsman in 1966. It was originally created to decorate the cafeteria inside the CBS Building in New York City.
Contents
What is Gastrotypographicalassemblage?
The name Gastrotypographicalassemblage might sound long, but it has a cool meaning!
- Gastro comes from "gastronomy," which is all about food and cooking.
- Typographical refers to "typography," which is the art of arranging letters and words.
- Assemblage means a collection of things put together.
So, it's an art piece that brings together food and letters. It lists many different foods that were served in the CBS cafeteria. What makes it special is that each food item is written using a different style of letters, called a typeface or font.
The Story of the Art Piece
How it was Made
Lou Dorfsman was a very creative person. He was the senior vice president for design at CBS, a big television company. This meant he was in charge of how everything looked, from elevator buttons to wall clocks.
In the mid-1960s, Dorfsman came up with the idea for Gastrotypographicalassemblage. He wanted to make the cafeteria special. He designed the artwork to list all the foods offered there. He used many different fonts to make it interesting.
The letters for the artwork were carefully made from hand-milled wood. Graphic designer Herb Lubalin and craftsman Tom Carnase helped Dorfsman bring his ideas to life. The whole project was finished in 1966. Lou Dorfsman felt this artwork was his greatest achievement and a gift to the world.
Lost and Found
Sadly, in the early 1990s, CBS decided to get rid of Gastrotypographicalassemblage. The large artwork was thrown away. Luckily, a designer named Nick Fasciano found the nine big panels that made up the piece.
When Nick found it, the artwork was in bad shape. It had been stored improperly and was quite damaged. A group called the Center for Design Study in Atlanta later got the piece. They tried to raise money to fix it, but they couldn't collect enough funds at that time.
A New Home
After Lou Dorfsman passed away in 2008, there was good news for Gastrotypographicalassemblage. The Culinary Institute of America, a famous cooking school in Hyde Park, New York, decided to give the artwork a new home.
The college worked with Nick Fasciano to get the money needed for the restoration. The artwork was carefully repaired and brought back to its original glory. In March 2014, Gastrotypographicalassemblage was put on public display for the very first time. You can now see it at the Institute's Marriott Pavilion and Conference Center on their Hyde Park campus.
