In 1954, a band of recent Cooper Union graduates founded a graphic-design-and-illustration firm called Push Pin Studios. The Push Pin pioneers were a talented lot: among them were notable artists Reynold Ruffins, Seymour Chwast, Edward Sorel, and Milton Glaser (creator of the “I ❤️ NY” logo). With a style that hearkened back to 19th-century advertising—outdated methods such as crosshatching and woodcutting were early Push Pin signatures—the studio turned heads quickly. Seven decades later, their distinctive, sometimes eccentric book jackets, posters, vinyl covers, and typefaces remain eye-catching. An exhibition highlighting six Push Pin artists—the aforementioned founders, plus Paul Davis (above, his 2006 painting How Bad Do You Want to Be Good?) and James McMullan—is currently on view at the Church in Sag Harbor, New York. —Jack Sullivan
