Dan Reisinger (1934-2019)
Painter and graphic designer. Born in Serbia, he immigrated to Israel with his family in 1949. He studied painting and sculpture at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem from 1950 to 1954. Upon graduating, he enlisted in the IDF, where he served as graphic designer of the Air Force’s publications. Upon his discharge, he moved to Brussels where he worked as a freelance in 1957-58. He then moved to London, where he worked in 1958-60 and subsequently in 1964-66. In London, he also continued to study art and create. In 1966, he returned to Israel and opened his own studio.
His most memorable works include the design of the IDF’s Medals of Valor, Courage, and Distinguished Service, Habima’s logo (1968) and El Al posters (1971). Some of his works are on permanent display in the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and Diaspora House in Tel Aviv.
In 1964, Reisinger conceived the Batsheva logo, made up of the Hebrew letter B (Bet) and number 7 (sheva), as well as its 1986 symbol which represents dancing figures. He also designed the master for the company’s first poster, over which Batsheva’s performances were advertised for more than a decade, including a logo inspired by the art of calligraphy, “Which, much like dancing, is light and dynamic, but achieved through lengthy and hard work”.
Reisinger taught in Bezalel. He was a member of the Council of Higher of Education in Israel and the Council for a Beautiful Israel. His works were exhibited in Israel and worldwide, and books about them were published in several languages. Reisinger won the Nordau Prize for Design (1974) and Herzl Prize for Contribution to Design in Israel (1981), among others. In 1998, he became the first laureate of the Israel Prize for Design. In 1979, he was made honorary member of the International Design Association.