dialogue
Reto
Caduff
Filmmaker
For more design commentary
from Steven Heller, go to
printmag.com/daily heller
Movie poster designed by Cristina
Couceiro.
steven heller
Print contributing editor, author, co-chair
of the Designer as Author program at the
School of Visual Arts
reto caduff
Documentary filmmaker; writer, director, and producer of The Visual Language of
Herbert Matter
28 — printmag.com
Steven Heller in conversation
Filmmaker Reto Caduff has a few things in common with
legendary designer Herbert Matter. Both were born in
Switzerland (Matter in 1907 and Caduff in 1967), and
both later moved to the U.S. As Caduff points out, they
also share an omnivorous approach to their work in
the visual arts. Caduff first learned about Matter while
studying typography and graphic design in college, and
Matter’s multifarious career—he was, at various times,
a collage artist, a photographer, a poster artist, a typographer, and, finally, an instructor at Yale—eventually
inspired Caduff to make a biographical documentary
about the designer: The Visual Language of Herbert
Matter, which premiered in March. I spoke to Caduff,
who has lived in Los Angeles since 1998, and has directed and produced numerous documentaries long and
short, about the intricacies of making this biopic.
What inspired you to direct a documen-
other modernists of his era? He created a
tary on Herbert Matter? I am just fascinated
visual language and taught about looking
with the time period in which modernism
inside an image. The fact that he expressed
happened. If I had a time machine, this is
himself through so many different forms
the time I would want to visit. The fact that
and that he didn’t distinguish between art
Matter hardly spoke, but expressed himself
or applied (commercial) art makes him
through his visual work, was a great chal-
exceptional but maybe not unique. Unique
lenge that I wanted to take on. And I felt that
to me is the fact that he didn’t just witness
a film would do his body of work (including
the modernist era but that he helped shape
films) more justice than a book. I felt I could
it. If you think about it, Matter was in Paris
reach more people through a film than a
in the late 1920s, not just being exposed but
book sitting in the arts section of a book-
actually collaborating with people like Le
store. But the challenge still is that Matter is
Corbusier, A.M. Cassandre, and the talents
hardly known by anyone outside the cogno-
at Deberny & Peignot. Then he went back to
scenti of graphic design. I hope people start
Switzerland and was part of this new move-
to discover his immense talent, and books
ment of the “foto grafiker” that introduced
and hopefully a big exhibition will follow.
so many great designers, like Max Bill, to the
Did you ever meet Matter? I first heard about
world. In 1935 he moved to New York, be-
Matter through the publisher Lars Müller in
came friends with Alexander Calder, Willem
1984—the year Matter died on the East Coast.
de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and the other
So, no, I never got the chance to meet him.
abstract expressionists. In 1943 he moved
What is it that distinguishes Matter from
to L.A. and worked with Charles and Ray
Eames, Harry Bertoia, and Arts & Architecture publisher John Entenza. Later, back
in New York, he really became a successful
designer, and introduced fellow Swiss photographer Robert Frank to the New York art
scene. And we are not even talking about all
the students he influenced later as a professor at Yale. In scope, this goes beyond a Paul
Rand. To me, he is comparable to icons such
as Alexy Brodovitch, László Moholy-Nagy, or
Josef Albers.
Does the film have a central narrative in
which you situate Matter? The fact that Matter is still this great enigma in many ways,
and there is [only] one small book published
on him, forced me to tell his life story in a
kind of biopic way: introduce him and his
work in as encompassing a way as possible,
which of course meant leaving many smaller
things on the cutting-room floor. It’s maybe
Herbert Matter became the design director for the New Haven Railroad in the early 1950s
and created a comprehensive design program and corporate identity in only 15 months.
not the most creative narrative, but telling a
life story from birth to death actually gives
career. Matter taught me that it doesn’t mat-
with about one-tenth of that budget. I am
you a structure to work within, which is
ter what medium you are working in as long
thankful for Gary Hustwit’s documentary
helpful.
as you do it with dedication. On a personal
Helvetica because it put the concept of a film
What did you discover about the man that
level, working that much comes with a
on graphic design or typography on the map.
came as a total surprise? Just the amount of
high price, and you have to be aware of it.
That film has really opened many doors.
work he did and how constantly good or even
He couldn’t just take a week off, go away on
Do you believe your film does Matter justice,
great it all is. It’s not a total surprise, but if
vacation. The family suffered, the marriage
or is there more that needs to be done?
you only know his Swiss posters and then
was rocky. He truly was married to his work,
I think a film where the subject is dead and
you go through his archive at Stanford, and
like so many other great artists.
can’t speak for himself can never do the
you see the hundreds of boxes, the fashion
How difficult was it to make a quality film on
person justice. But if the viewers get inspired
photography, the darkroom experiments,
this topic? I am fortunate that Switzerland
by Matter’s visionary thinking, if they want
the advertising, the graphic design, the
has a good support system when it comes to
to know more about the man and the work,
films, the drawings and paintings, it really
grants, and public television that still invests
and if it helps to raise awareness for Matter,
leaves you in awe of his talent, passion, and
in films about arts and artists to a certain
I think I reached my goal. I hope a book on
dedication.
extent. And I am lucky that I got the full sup-
Matter or, better, a few books, will be pub-
And did you learn anything about yourself
port of Herbert Matter’s son, Alex. Without
lished soon.
from immersion in his life? I always felt
his help, this would have never happened.
If you could have Matter before the camera,
because I wasn’t happy just doing graphic
I approached Matter’s widow, Mercedes,
what would you ask him? I think I would
design, just being a photographer or a film-
before her death in 2001, and there was no
hardly ask about art and design at all. I would
maker, that doing it all and juggling all
chance she would have ever agreed to a film.
be interested in hearing about his views on
these things doesn’t really count as a serious
But of course documentary filmmaking is
philosophy, politics, life, and, of course,
always a struggle. We ran out of money be-
some stories about all the great people he met
fore we finished all the postproduction, but a
and collaborated with.
dedicated team has helped bring this film to
When and where will the film be shown?
the finish line. It truly is a team effort.
We will first screen it at some festivals and
Did you have other bio/documentary models
then art schools, museums, etc. And we will
in mind? Not really. One documentary that
have a big premiere in Matter’s birthplace,
has inspired me tremendously in spirit is
Engelberg, in the summer. My hope is to get
The Kid Stays in the Picture, about Hol-
to screen the film all over the world, not just
lywood producer Robert Evans. We worked
Europe and the U.S.
Matter didn’t just witness
the modernist era—he helped
shape it.
print June 2010— 29