John Gall (born 1963 in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

), is an American graphic designer known primarily for the design of book covers. He is a graduate of

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

. Gall is currently the creative director of

Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers in ...

. He was formerly creative director of Abrams Books, and prior to that, vice president and art director for

Vintage Books Vintage Books is a trade paperback publishing imprint of Penguin Random House originally established by Alfred A. Knopf in 1954. The company was purchased by Random House in April 1960, and a British division was set up in 1990. After Random ...

and

Anchor Books Vintage Books is a trade paperback publishing imprint of Penguin Random House originally established by Alfred A. Knopf in 1954. The company was purchased by Random House in April 1960, and a British division was set up in 1990. After Random ...

, both imprints of

Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...

. He is well known for the minimal wit in his design style and is notable for the sheer number of book covers he has designed. His awards include over 60

AIGA The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional organization for design. Its members practice all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, user experience, branding and identity ...

Annual Awards. He has also worked with

Farrar, Straus and Giroux Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger Williams Straus Jr. and John C. Farrar. FSG is known for publishing literary books, and its authors have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer ...

and Grove Press. Gall has also designed CD covers for

Nonesuch Records Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly called Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, No ...

. Among the authors for whom Gall has designed several covers are

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...

, Margaret Atwood, and

Don DeLillo Donald Richard DeLillo (born November 20, 1936) is an American novelist, short story writer, playwright, screenwriter and essayist. His works have covered subjects as diverse as television, nuclear war, sports, the complexities of language, perf ...

. His work is featured in ''By Its Cover: Modern American Book Cover Design'' by Ned Drew and Paul Sternberger, ''Less is More: The New Simplicity in Graphic Design'' by Steve Heller and Anne Fink. In addition to his work as art director and designer, Gall is an instructor at the

School of Visual Arts The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. History This school was started by ...

Bibliography

* ''Sayonara Home Run!: The Art of the Japanese Baseball Card'', by John Gall, Gary Engel and

Steven Heller (graphic design) Steven Heller (born July 7, 1950) is an American art director, journalist, critic, author, and editor who specializes in topics related to graphic design. Biography Steven Heller was born July 7, 1950, in New York City to Bernice and Milton H ...

. * ''2D: Visual Basics for Designers'', by Robin Landa, Rose Gonnella and Steven Brower, with foreword by John Gall. *''John Gall Collages 2008-2018'' (2018)

Bibliography

References

See also