Outline

David Carson
- Sept. 8th, 1952 (Corpus Cristi, TX).
- Moved to NYC, owns two studios (Del Mar, CA and Zurich). Did a lot of traveling.
- Went to San Diego State U. and Oregon College of Commercial Art (BA in Sociology).
- Went to Switzerland, attended a three-week workshop in graphic design as part of degree. Met his first great influence, who also happened to be the teacher of this course, Hans-Rudolf Lutz.
- Worked as a sociology teacher and professional surfer in the late 1970's, art directed various music, skateboarding and surfing magazines through the 1980's.
- Questioned the role of type in the emergent age of digital design, following on from California New Wave and coinciding with experiments at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 1990's he shifted from 'surf subculture' to corporate work for Nike, Levis, and Citibank.
- 1982–1987, Carson worked as a teacher in Torrey Pines High in San Diego, California.
- 1983, Carson started to experiment with graphic design and found himself immersed in the artistic and bohemian culture of Southern California. By the late eighties he had developed his signature style, using "dirty" type and non-mainstream photographic techniques. He would later be dubbed the "father of grunge."
- Carson became interested in a new school of typography and photography-based graphic design and is largely responsible for popularizing the style; he inspired many young designers of the 1990s. His work does not follow "traditional" graphic design standards. Carson is emotionally attached to his creations. Carson's work is considered explorative of thoughts and ideas that become "lost" in the subconscious. Every piece is saturated, but Carson still manages to communicate both the idea and the feeling behind his design. His extensive use of combinations of typographic elements and photography led many designers to completely change their work methods and graphic designers from all around the world base their style on the new “standards” that have distinguished Carson's work.- Carson went on to become the art director of Transworld Skateboarding magazine.
- In 2000, Carson opened a new personal studio in Charleston, South Carolina. In 2004, Carson became the Creative Director of Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston and designed the special “Exploration” edition of Surfing Magazine and directed a television commercial for UMPQUA Bank in Seattle.
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