Steven Heller

Swiss designer Dafi Kühne is a poster zealot. A zealot is a fanatic, a keeper of convictions, protector of traditions and practitioner of rituals. Kühne is furthermore the consummate poster maker of the 21st century. With his dedication to the form, there can be no doubt that Poster Cult is an apt description and title for his new book from Lars Muller Publishers. It is a tome that questions tired preconceptions and rejects worn conventions.

I’m looking forward to turning all systems off today and starting the holiday break. No classes, no research, no writing, no brand-new Daily Heller s (I’ll be publishing “Best ofs” until Jan. 2). But before I leave for two weeks of ice fishing, I must recommend two unmissable exhibitions for those visiting New York for the holidays, and youse who live here, too …

The beauty, imagination and complexity of the arts and crafts of Black Caribbean artisans is front and center in Malene Djenaba Barnett’ s deeply researched new book, Crafted Kinship: Inside the Creative Practices of Contemporary Black Caribbean Makers

When I started to publish books in the early 1980s, my interest in illustration was at its peak. At the same time I was a Christmas fanatic. I loved everything about the season, especially the cards. So, I conceived my first book as an homage to illustration and Christmas. It remains one of my favorite projects. Since ’tis the season to be jolly, I am recalling it here, especially for today.

On this, the 366th day of 2024, I commemorate the rare simultaneity of Christmas and Hanukkah with the $6 million sale of Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (aka banana with duct tape) … and simultaneously celebrate the best pun of the year.

As his contribution to the 1939 New York World’s Fair time capsule, Albert Einstein considered what it would take to ensure peace, equality and dignity in 2039. He wrote a poignant message to posterity—part lamentation, part aspiration, true to the essence of critical thinking and optimism that underscored his life and work.

If you’re looking for them (and even if you’re not), there are certain distinctive social types that inhabit Manhattan and the boroughs. Noah Rinsky has dedicated himself to documenting what he calls Old Jewish Men (OJM). Rather than ridicule, he affectionately spotlights their diversity that makes New York City a continuously bubbling melting pot. I’d call Rinsky a 30-something self-styled socio-anthropological humorist who moderates the popular social media account

American graphic design is rooted in the histories of printing, which owe a lot to advertising. When the making and selling of goods became an industry in the mid-19th century, the need to inform consumers prompted unique techniques. Packaging, posters, periodicals, trade cards, handbills and countless novelties were produced in varying graphic styles to capture the eye and foment desire. Graphic design grew out of this creative yet pragmatic need to appeal to customers.

Black admen and adwomen in Chicago started the transformation of the most powerful influences of American culture, marketing and media—and Channels Changers tells their story. It is an invaluable look at how they first cracked the once impenetrably white walls of the culturally defining American advertising institution during the late ’60s through the mid ’80s.

The Washington Post would not have dared kill a piece by its courageous political cartoonist Herbert Block, known to the world as Herblock —and he would not have accepted such behavior if they had. As it happens, Pulitzer Prize–winning Post cartoonist Ann Telnaes is cut from the same cloth.