David Tartakover

35 Years of Occupation Poster, 2002

David Tartakover studied at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design where he has been teaching as well. Throughout his career he has specialized in various aspects of visual communications, with particular emphasis on culture and politics. Tartakover is one of the most important graphic designers in Israel, and although not a typographer, it is important to mention his work in this blog.

State of Israel's 30th Anniversary Poster, 1978

To show his support and contribute to a protest movement (that called prime minister Menahem Begin to begin a peace process, in 1978), Tartakover voluntarily designed a poster with the title "Peace Now". The title became the movement's name and was made into the first political sticker in Israel, which is effective till this day.

Peace Now Logo, 1978

The logo originated in the poster Tartakover designed for the 30th anniversary of the state of Israel, in which the word "Peace" is set in the biblical Koren font (designed by Eliahu Koren in the 1950's as a revival of Spanish-Italian Hebrew type from 1800's) with blue skies in the background. According to Tartakover, the innovation in the Peace Now logo was the combination of the two typefaces - "peace" set in the traditional Koren and "now" set in the headline-style Haim, explicitly secular Israeli. the contrasting combination gave the logo its presence and memorability.