Alston Purvis

Associate Professor of Art | apurvis@bu.edu

BFA, Virginia Commonwealth University; MFA, Yale University. Instructor, Cooper Union, 1969–70; associate professor, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, The Hague, 1971–82. Several solo and group exhibitions in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, London, New York, and Paris, among others. Freelance graphic designer and translator for major galleries, corporations, and publishers. Published extensively in leading graphic design journals. Author of numerous books, including Dutch Graphic Design, 1918–1945; Wendingen, 1918–1933; Graphic Design 20th Century; A Century of Posters; H.N. Werkman; Creative Type; The Vendetta; Meggs’ History of Graphic Design (co-author); Dutch Graphic Design: From the End of the 19th Century and Beyond. Has presented lectures at the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Wolfsonian Foundation at Florida International University, and many others. Chair, Graphic Design department. School of Visual Arts Director ad interim, 1998–2002.