In Search of the Miraculous Or, One Thing Leads to Another

The iconic graphic designer presents “a self-analysis of his creative process . . . [in] arguably his proudest accomplishment” (The Atlantic). Milton Glaser is perhaps the most celebrated graphic designer in the world. As a young man, he read a phrase that stayed with him through his life: “In Search of the Miraculous.” One could say that all human experience is a miracle—memory, color, taste, Vermeer, stars, watermelon, etc. For those like Glaser, the act of making things that move the mind is perhaps the deepest aspiration to the miraculous. In this volume, he has chosen work, largely created by him over the last five years, to demonstrate how one concept leads to another. Through fascinating juxtapositions, readers will gain insights into Glaser’s oeuvre, journeying with him as he discovers that seemingly new designs frequently come out of provocative ideas taken from the distant past. “Elegant . . . The text and the picture positively embrace and dance together.” —The New York Times “To younger graphic designers, Glaser has the stature of Marlon Brando in Hollywood . . . He appears to have thought more deeply about what he makes than many lionized by the contemporary art world and its market.” —San Francisco Chronicle “In Search of the Miraculous aptly captures the tension involved in reconciling the artist’s aspirations to do great work and the client’s objectives. This book eloquently, articulately, and with great panache, and provocation, illuminates the extraordinary outcomes that emerge when the artistic process miraculously works.” —New York Journal of Books