Ken Carbone is a designer, artist, musician, author, and teacher. He says he can't spell, can't type, and only learned to swim after he turned 50. He’s never won an Oscar, never watched the Simpsons, and secretly loves opera.
He is the co-founder and Chief Creative Director of the Carbone Smolan Agency in New York City. The Agency’s client list includes W Hotels, Morgan Stanley, Taubman Centers, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Canon, Christie’s, Carnegie Textiles, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, Ken Burns Foundation, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Corbis Images, Architectural Record magazine, and renowned institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, and the Musée du Louvre.
In addition to his role as creative director, Ken Carbone is the author of The Virtuoso: Face to Face with 40 Extraordinary Talents. The book’s emphasis on human achievement in all walks of life reflects Carbone’s wide-ranging curiosity that has inspired his own endeavors. His new book, co-authored with Leslie Smolan and titled "Dialog": What Makes a Great Design Partnership., is scheduled for publication in October 2012.
He frequently speaks about design and visual communication at events sponsored by Inc. magazine, Metropolis magazine, American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), Luxury Marketing Council, and the Society of Environmental Graphic Designers. He has lectured at top business schools and art institutions, and is a professor in the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Currently, he is a featured design blogger for Fast Company magazine.
His work has been recognized for design excellence and published internationally for over 35 years. However, he says he would give it all up to play guitar for Tina Turner.
Announcements
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy by John Lobell
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy
By John Lobell
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: June 2020
Noted Louis I.Kahn expert John Lobell explores how Kahn’s focus on structure, respect for materials, clarity of program, and reverence for details come together to manifest an overall philosophy.
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn by Harriet Pattison
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn
By Harriet Pattison
Publisher: Yale University Press
Forthcoming: October 2020
An intimate glimpse into the professional and romantic relationship between Harriet Pattison and the renowned architect Louis Kahn. Harriet Pattison, FASLA, is a distinguished landscape architect. She was Louis Kahn’s romantic partner from 1959 to 1974, and his collaborator on the landscapes of the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, and the F.D.R. Memorial/Four Freedoms Park, New York. She is the mother of their son, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn.
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
By Per Olaf Fjeld and Emily Randall Fjeld
Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
Published: October 4, 2019
A new and personal reading of the architecture, teachings, and legacy of Louis I. Kahn from Per Olaf Fjeld’s perspective as a former student. The book explores Kahn’s life and work, offering a unique take on one of the twentieth century’s most important architects. Kahn’s Nordic and European ties are emphasized in this study that also covers his early childhood in Estonia, his travels, and his relationships with other architects, including the Norwegian architect Arne Korsmo.
.jpg)
Ballpark: Baseball in the American City by Paul Goldberger
Ballpark: Baseball in the American City
By Paul Goldberger
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Published: May 2019
An illustrated, entirely new look at the history of baseball: told through the stories of the vibrant and ever-changing ballparks where the game was and is staged, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critic.
Charleston Fancy by Witold Rybczynski
Charleston Fancy: Little Houses and Big Dreams in the Holy City
By Witold Rybczynski
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: May 2019
Charleston, South Carolina, which boasts America’s first historic district, is known for its palmetto-lined streets and picturesque houses. The Holy City, named for its profusion of churches, exudes an irresistible charm. Award-winning author and cultural critic Witold Rybczynski unfolds a series of stories about a group of youthful architects, builders, and developers based in Charleston: a self-taught home builder, an Air Force pilot, a fledgling architect, and a bluegrass mandolin player.
Teaching Graphic Design History by Steven Heller
Teaching Graphic Design History
By Steven Heller
Publisher: Allworth Press
Published: June 2019
An examination of the concerted efforts, happy accidents, and key influences of the practice throughout the years, Teaching Graphic Design History is an illuminating resource for students, practitioners, and future teachers of the subject.
Recent Articles
