Heinz Edelmann, art director for 'Yellow Submarine' dies

Yesterday we were saddened to learn that Heinz Edelmann had passed away. Not only did Edelmann serve as the art director for the Beatles 1968 iconic film, Yellow Submarine, but Edelmann was one of the first to adopt graphic design into fine art. Though he is credited as the art director for the film, he is generally credited as the art director, but in fact he created a lot of the characters and was deeply involved in developing the story itself. Although the film became a staple of popular culture, it seems that Edelmann's work fundamentally changed afterwards. He often points out that he could never quite connect with the '60s mind set.

In a tribute piece by Christoph Niemann, Niemann writes:

Born in 1934 in the former Czechoslovakia, Heinz Edelmann studied art education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dusseldorf, at a time when graphic design was not really being taught. In the '50s, the Disseldorf academy was one of the most dynamic places in Germany, with Joseph Beuys as the Academy's most important figure. Since the late '50s, Edelmann has been working in design, illustration, advertising, animation and as a teacher (which he used to tell us was mentioned as an "occupation" in his passport).

He has lived and worked in Germany, in England and the Netherlands.