David TARTAKOVER

David Tartakover (born 1944) is an Israeli graphic designer, political activist, artist and design educator.
He studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, and is a graduate of the London College of Printing. Since 1975, he has operated his own studio in Tel Aviv, specializing in various aspects of visual communications, with particular emphasis on culture and politics.
From 1976, Tatakover has been a senior lecturer in the Visual Communication Department of the Bezalel Academy, is a member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI), has been a president of the Graphic Designers Association of Israel (GDAI).
He has established a reputation for a series of politically provocative self-produced posters, some at the time of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year). His compositions are driven more by content or themes than by high aesthetics. He has described his work as a « seismograph » and « a way of reacting to events… to alter opinions and attitudes ».
Tartakover designed Peace Now’s logo in 1978.The logo emerged from a poster created by Tartakover for a mass rally, held in what is now Rabin Square in Tel Aviv on April 1, 1978, titled « Peace Now. » It became the name of the organization, the first political bumper sticker in Israel and it is still one of Israel’s most popular stickers.Tartakover, commenting in 2006, said « The movement activists liked the logo, but they thought there should also be a symbol. I told them it wasn’t needed – this is the symbol. It took time until they understood that this was the first political sticker in Israel. » The logo combines two typefaces, « Shalom » (peace) in black traditional Koren Bible Type (designed by Eliyahu Koren) and « Achshav » (now) in the red headline-style Haim Type (designed by Yaakov Haim Levitt).
He describes himself as « a local designer, » meaning that the subjects he tackles concern Israel. He follows the mantra of Hebrew expressionist poet Avigdor Hameiri: « Freedom of opinion is not a right but a duty ». Influences on Tartakover’s work stem from Gustav Klutsis, John Heartfield, Alexander Rodchenko, Ben Shahn, and Andy Warhol. He claims that his mentor has been comic-book artist Bob Gill and that best work is the Hebrew-lettered « Peace Now » logo. Tartakover is one of the most prominent Israeli graphic designers.