steinbeck
nobel laureate / typographic poster

John Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962 “for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception.”

In keeping with the rural settings and agricultural themes found in many of Steinbeck’s novels, the color-blocking is an abstraction of the sky and land of rural America. As a nod to the plight of migratory workers—a recurring theme in his novels—the color-blocking and the strong directionality of Steinbeck’s name reinforce the idea of dirt roads. His most famous novel, The Grapes of Wrath, is referenced by the Route 66 sign on the front; the same sign is used to mark his birth and death on the timeline. The color palette consists of faded, dusty hues that evoke images of rural back roads, old pickup trucks, and sun-bleached road signs.