Peter Buchanan-Smith (born April 7, 1972) is a designer, teacher, entrepreneur, and the founder of Best Made Co.

Biography

Peter Buchanan-Smith was born on April 7, 1972 in Canada. He attended 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 ...

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in the MFA Designer as Author program and received his master's degree in 2001. His M.F.A. thesis in graphic design was developed into a book published in 2001 by Princeton Architectural Press entitled ''Speck: A Curious Collection of Uncommon Things''. After graduation, Buchanan-Smith worked at ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', where he was art director of the Op-Ed page for September 11, 2001, and ''

Paper Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...

'' magazine, where he was creative director from 2005 to 2008. He has been the design director for Isaac Mizrahi's fashion house and has collaborated with

Maira Kalman Maira Kalman is an American artist, illustrator, writer, and designer known for her painting and writing about the human condition. She is the author and illustrator of over 30 books for adults and children and her work is exhibited in museums a ...

, with whom he designed the illustrated re-issue of Strunk & White's classic grammar text, ''

The Elements of Style ''The Elements of Style'' is an American English writing style guide in numerous editions. The original was written by William Strunk Jr. in 1918, and published by Harcourt in 1920, comprising eight "elementary rules of usage", ten "elementary p ...

''. In 2005, he was awarded a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

for the design of

Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently dur ...

’s best-selling album ''

A Ghost is Born ''A Ghost Is Born'' is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band Wilco. Released on June 22, 2004, it features singer Jeff Tweedy on lead guitar more than any previous Wilco album. The band streamed the album online free, and offe ...

''. In 2009, Buchanan-Smith founded New York City-based design firm Buchanan-Smith LLC, which produces branding, packaging, and identities. In 2009, he founded Best Made Co., a company that develops artisanal tools and adventure products after moving to South Orange, New Jersey and started building things. The first product he designed for Best Made Co. was a collection of functional axes decorated in a scheme of colorful spots and stripes; acquired by foresters and collectors (including David Lynch), the axes have been exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery in London. He left the company in 2019.

Style and themes

Clear and expressive, Buchanan-Smith's work has often been referenced by other designers, and has been featured in ''The New York Times'', '' I.D.'' magazine and the AIGA's ''Fresh Dialogue Four: New Voices in Graphic Design''. In his work, Buchanan-Smith has often explored the relationships between people and objects, also drawing attention to the value of the everyday and the nature of luxury.

Bibliography

* ''Speck: A Curious Collection of Uncommon Things'', Princeton Architectural Press, 2001.

References

External links

www.buchanansmith.comwww.bestmadeco.com
*Peter Buchanan-Smith lectures at th
Walker Art Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buchanan-Smith, Peter Living people 1972 births American graphic designers