Barbara Stauffacher Solomon

Barbara Stauffacher Solomon gained recognition for her groundbreaking 'supergraphics'—large-scale interior and exterior designs—most famously realized at Sea Ranch, a visionary estate in Sonoma County, California. Her early training in dance and painting laid the foundation for a multidisciplinary approach, which deepened during the 1950s when she moved to Switzerland and became the first American student at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Basel, studying under the influential designer Armin Hofmann. Immersed in Swiss Modernism, she absorbed principles of clarity, structure, and spatial awareness that would shape her work. Solomon’s practice centers on transforming architectural and interior spaces through bold graphic interventions that merge color, typography, and scale. Her supergraphics challenge conventional boundaries between art, design, and environment, creating immersive experiences that are both functional and visually striking. Later in her career, she expanded her exploration of form and communication through artist books, using the medium to integrate philosophy, semiotics, and design into a cohesive, experimental visual language. ...