This is what Gail Anderson has to say about Paula:
"I was one of those quiet, diligent students who worked hard, but said little in class. In the fall of 1983, my portfolio teacher at SVA, Paula Scher, wasn't having any of that; she actually asked me what I thought, and expected a response--out loud. That smoke-filled class changed my life.
Looking back, I
think I did some of the best work of my college days in Paula's class;
not because I was soooo talented, but because I looked really hard at
what she did and tried to emulate the wit and energy of her work. Okay, I
was ripping her off. We all were.
I learned to
love giant wood type in Paula's class, and a reverence for all things
nostalgic and whimsical. Paula made design fun, taught us dirty words in
Yiddish, and had huge, uncensored opinions about everything. It was
mesmerizing to sit near her Parliaments. She was blunt when the work
wasn't good enough, but not mean, and challenged us to become better
designers. Most importantly, Paula taught me to speak up. I'll never be
as sharp and witty as her, but I know how to voice my opinion now, and
can clearly trace the roots of that skill back to her class. Catholic
school taught me to sit still; Paula's class taught me to open up.
Paula
Scher is one of the people I pretty much owe my career to. She helped
me get my first job at Vintage Books, put in a good word for me at The
Boston Globe, and called Fred Woodward on my behalf when I wanted to
work for him at Rolling Stone. She supported me when I moved to SpotCo
seven years ago, and said matter of factly, "That's the perfect place
for you," when I was all wobbly at the beginning. I figured if Paula
thought it was a good move, that was good enough for me. It was a
turning point."
View this short video by Hillman Curtis http://hillmancurtis.com/artist-series/paula-scher/
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