Paula Scher

Paula Scher began working as a designer and art director in the music industry. In 1984 Paula Scher and Terry Koppel her business partner started an advertising firm Koppel & Scher design. Together they wrote a typographical book called Great Beginnings which showed how type can be used in an 'emotive and energetic way'.
Swatch was on of their famous design. Paula Scher was insipired by the posters of Herbert Matter - Swiss designer. His photography portrayed originality and creativity in the 1950's. These iconic pieces of design were re-edited by Koppel & Scher and became the famous Swatch Print ad. Hoever this became a debate as to if a designer could edit someone else's work and till today people still question this contraversy. 1991 saw some hard times for Koppel & Scher and they decided to take seperate roads. Scher soon joined a legendary design studio in New York office of Pentagram. There she worked with Alan Fletcher another famous graphic designer who she became a partner with and still holds today.
Paula has designed posters for the Public theatre in New York since 1994. The use of vibrant typography is her trademark in design.
In 2001 she was awarded a prestigious AIGA medal which by most designers is believed to be the Oscar of the design world.

Bibliography

Anon., n.d. Design History: Paula Scher. [Online]
Available at: http://be-artsy.blogspot.com/p/paula-scher.html
[Accessed 25 December 2013].

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution began in England between 1760 and 1840. This Era saw a change in the economy and society. This change was brought about by energy which converted the agricultural society to an industrial one. Before  the steam engine the first source of energy was produced by animals and human power. By the end of the 19th century the energy increased by far due to the power of steam.
In the last 30 years of the century engines that worked with electricity and gasoline increased production. Factories were developing manufacturing new materials like iron and steel. Cities began to expand quickly and hundreds of people seeked work in factories. Politicians were no longer influenced by aristocrats but drew their attention towards capitalist manufactures, merchants and labourors.

Landowners were replaced by  capitalist who invested in machines which produced mass production thus creating a change in industry. Costs were lowered, merchandise was cheaper more available and more abundant.

Graphics soon began to play a main part in the marketing of this industry. Although many workers were employed by these factories, wages were many times miserable working hours were long and living conditions were horrendous. They often suffered shutdowns and loss of jobs due to economic panics or depressions.
Though this new industry brought along hardships with it, it saw the growth of middle class. Further more the industrial age began to influence materialism amongst people and human values were losing their priority. Hoever equality among humans empowered public education and literacy amongst the working class. Graphic communications increased in its importance. Unit costs were decreased in technology and printed production increased. This availability and demand brought about the era of the mass communication.

References:

Stearns, Peter N. (1998). The Industrial Revolution in World History. Westview Press

Lazar Lissitzky

Lazar Markovich Lissitzky was a Russian artist who was an important figure of the Russian avant-garde. Besides an artist he was also a designer, photgrapher and typographer and architect. Together with his mentor Kazimir Malevich, El Lissitzky as he was more known helped to develop suprematism. They also designed a big number of exhibition desiplays and works regarding propoganda for the Soviet Union.

Bauhuas and constructivist movements were immensly inspired by his work.
El Lissitzky liked to experiment with technique and style. By doing this he created stylitic devices that dominated graphic design in the 20th century.

When he first started painting he developed a style where he made use of abstract geometric shapes. He called these shapes 'prouns' and they were developed in a 3-dimensional space. These frequently consisted of various perspectives which contrasted with the notion of suprematist theories which emphasized the simplicity in shapes and the use of just 2D space.

In 1920 he spent time in Germany where became a cultural representative of Russia. Although he was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis Lissitzky never stopped working. He continued with his mission, producing propaganda posters, books, buildings and exhibitions. Lissitzky remained head of exhibitions however unfortunately he was overcome by his tuberculosis and died in 1941.

1919 propaganda poster "Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge".

Bibliography 

Design Is History. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.designishistory.com/1920/el-lissitzky/.

Saul Bass

Graphic designer and film maker Saul Bass was mainly well known for the film posters and title sequences he designed. Bass worked for some of the greatest film makers in Holly wood such as Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Martin Scorsese and Otto Preminger for whom he created the title sequence "the man with the golden arm " in 1955 whcih made him famous. Bass also invented a new type of kinetic typograph and some of the most iconic logosd for corporate companies in North America such as AT 4T "bell" logo in 1969 and "globe", "jetstream" for continental Airlines and "tulip" for United Airlines.

At the end of his 40 year career James L Brookes and Martin Scorsese urged Bass to return to 'main title design'

Before he became a film make Bass was an excellent graphic designer. He was in 1920 in the Bronx, New York and as a child was very creative always drawing. He studied at the Arts Students League in New York. In Brooklyn College he was tutured by Gyorgy Kepes a hungarian designer who introduced Bass to Moholy's Bauhaus style and Russian Constructivism. He then worked as an apprentice with Manhattan design films and later became a freelance graphic designer. In 1950 he opened his own studio in Los Angeles and worked mainly  in advertising until he was asked to design a  poster by Preminger for his 1954 movie Carmen Jones. The result inpressed Preminger and this led him to ask Bass to create the film's title sequence.

Bass was elicited other commisions for titles after his success of his design Carmen Jones however it was Premingers next project "The Man with the Golden Arm" that made Bass "the doyen of the film title design".

During the next ten years he used his talent to create an animated mini movie "Around the World in 80 days" as well as a tearful eye for Premingers 1958 Bonjour Tristesse. Bass talent in design was described by Martin Scorsese as 'an emblematic image, instantly recognisable and immediately tied to the film'. Bass and his second wife Elaine created excellent titles for other directions. After directing a series of short films in 1968, 'why man creates' which were Oscar winning he went on to dirct Phase IV but when this was a flop he returned to commercial graphic design. Saul Bass was a cinema legend whom young film directors dreamed to work with.

Bass’ poster designs for The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) and Vertigo (1958)

Bibliography

Bigman, A., 2012. Saul Bass: the man who changed graphic design. [Online]
Available at: http://99designs.com/designer-blog/2012/06/12/saul-bass-graphic-designer-of-a-century/

Punk

Many teenagers that were part of the punk era were born during the psychedelic era when young generations were already expressing a way of life by living a "care free life". Originating during these radical changes punks became rebellious groups. They enjoyed listening to hard core music, wore fierce clothing and experimented with confrontational art.

Punk artists created collages which were bold, savage, brutal, relentless for several funtions such as music concerts or magazine covers etc. Art works showed images that were ripped off to create a torn effect. Typography was written by hand and words used were rebellious.

The aim behind these art works was to portray a shocking image of society and its culture thus showing their capability to shift traditional art. Dadaists were an influence on the punks. However Punks used Dadaists collages and used their collage techniques to change the images into a savagely manner.

A distinctive art work which depicts the Punks as rebels of their time was created by Jamie Reid for the album 'God Save the Queen' by the Sex Pistols.
Punk fans produced a fazine magazine which however was short lived. Titles and headlines were just written down and the style used was cut and paste. This deisgn gave the magazine an extra charm of punk rock. The product was done in black and white with the illustration of raw photographs from gigs, placed on a white background. Some text was added usually using a typewriter and stuck on as a note.
The Punk era brought along sarcastic humour and visual language which caused an aareness of a modern wave in culture.

Sex Pistols - Jamie Reid

Bibliography 

Poynor, R., 2012. The Art of Punk and Punk Aesthetics. [Online]
Available at: http://observatory.designobserver.com/feature/the-art-of-punk-and-the-punk-aesthetic/36708/

Graphics

Graphics comes from the Greek word graphikos. This production of visual statements can be seen on surfaces or walls as well as canvas, pottery, computer screens, paper, stone or landscape.
Geometric designs, signs, logos, graphs, drawings etc and everything that presents creation is comprised in graphics. It is a profession of many artistic jobs which include combining text, pictures, advertising and website. It therefore comprises the whole history of art. It dates back to earlier than 30,000 BC when hundreds of graphic designs of animals where drawn by the primitive people in the Chauvet Cave, in the south of France, as well as designs of the primitive hunters in the Bhimbetke rock shelters in India in 7,000 BC, in Australia the Aboriginal Rock Art.
The history of graphics is very long and these rock and cave paintings in various parts of the world are a living proof. A combination of this history with the history of writing are the bed rock of Graphic Art.
Graphics has benn used broadly in religious books including Bibles that were designed in monastries in Britain.
These designs generally included minute figures as well as spiralling and interloacking patterns. These designs became part of the ancient graphic tradition. Following the 6th century they were used to decorate and illuminate gospels.

Graphic designs can also be found in the Islamic holy book, the Quran. An angled alphabet called kuffi was used by these writers using golden paper and black ink to produce these designs. It was the 8th century when these writings first appeared and in the 10th century they reached their pinnacle. Years later the book was further beutified by adding decorative margins, pages and more graphic techniques. Another alphabet was later invented in the 12th century. It was called the Naskh alphabet and was made up of curves instead of angled lines.

William Morris was a producer of several graphic designs. He formed part of a group called the Pre-Raphaelites together with artists like Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Together these artists created ideas which became a great influence on modern graphic design.

Bibliography

apherelosiazzacthomu, n.d. History of Graphic Design. [Online]
Available at: http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/53704.

Modernism

Modernism arose in Western society in the beginning of the 20th centuries and the late 19th. It is known to be a philosphical movement int he arts, a movement which rejected "the certainty of Enlightment thinking'. Religious belief was also denied by many modernists. Development of contemporary industrial societies and the accelearted expansion of cities where circumstances that carved modernism.

Artists began to experiment with more articulate and striking colour, pushing aside traditional materials and introducing new techniques and mediums. They wanted their art to be more challenging and not as realistic in depicting the world. Photography was one of these inventions which introduced a modern way to represent and reinterpret the world. In the Museum of Modern Art  one can view collections of art produced after 1880. In this era 'avant-garde' artists proceeded with their art and moved it towards new and modern directions.
Modernism artists disapproved of the traditional forms of art, architecture and literature. They felt that these daily activities in life were becoming outdated in the modern world which was emergin through economy and industry.

Self-consciousness is a particular feature of Modernism. These artists experimented with the use of technique to create a painting, a poem or even a building. "Modernism explicitly rejected the ideaology of realism. They used work that was done in the past and incorporated, rewrote, revised or recapitulated it. Critics sometimes describe Modernism as a 'socially progressive trend of thought' that guarantees the potential of the human race "to create, improve and reshape", the world we live in by experimenting witht heir thoughts and innovative ideas as well as scientific knowledge and technology.

Looking at it from this point of view Modernism aroused encouragment in artists to re-examin all aspects that exist. Their aim was to find whatever was 'holding back' progress and replace it with innovative ideas to reach the same destination.



References:

Gombrich, E. H. 1958. The Story of Art. London: Phaidon.

Helvetica

The Helvetica typeface which has been around for the last fifteen years has become one of the most universal typefaces widly - used all over the world, especially due to its classic typography. Although modernism was critisized and described by many, Helvetica seemed to have endured all criticism associated with the era, and deemed itself irreplaceable. When comparing the timeless, classic typeface to other fonts, Helvetica's success seems to override all others.

Originally, Helvetica was called Neue Hass Grotesk, dating back to 1960. As this was not the most attractive name the typeface was renamed "Helvetica" which is the Latin meaning for 'Swiss'.
Max Miedinger together with Edward Hoffman were the two designers responsible for this renowned typography which began to develop and advance in 1957.
Progress on the Helvetica typeface began at the Type Foundry in Muchenstein , Switzerland where the developer aimed at creating a new vitalized design but one that was neutral with no underlying meaning in its form and most importantly a classic typeface that could widely be used on a variety of signage.

Helvetica became a worldwide sensation as it seemed to possess all the right elements necessary to revitalize peoples minds in the design industry. During this period of time advertisement was lasking clarity as a lot of the typography was extravagant and overwhelming for consumers. Due to its characteristics of simplicity and clarity, Helvetica evidently distinguished itself from all other fonts evolving into a Modernist success. Its clean form allowed it to be broody amonst a wide selection of settings. A number of designers were challenged to believe that the content of a product should speak for itself without having to be driven and enhanced greatly by the design. Helvetica typeface proved exactly this. An appropriate example is the CocaCola advert where Helvetica typeface was used in the marketing campaign in the 1950s. The message they wanted to convey was a simple one: 'Coke its the real thing'.It was a simple but srtriking message allowing the product to do the thing by using typography.
Helvetica became a design tool allowing designers to add on essential element to their work. They wanted to prove to the client's 'less is more' when it comes to logos. They believed that those who embrace this typeface can truly achieve success. It however began to lose its popularity in the 1980's when postmodern design began.

Bibliography

PERKS, M., 2007. Tracing the History of Helvetica. [Online]
Available at: http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4123#.Un_NA_mbP20
[Accessed 10 November 2013].

Piet Mondrian

Painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) was one of De Stijl artists who 'sought universal laws of balance and harmony'. His paintings are an influence of the movements philosophy but by 1911 Mondrian abandoned the traditional landscape and started to paint in a symbolic style which expressed the 'forces of nature'. It was fellow painter Van Gogh that influenced him to do this. This very soon made him aware of cubist paintings and in 1912 he went to live in Paris where he began to imply 'the vocabulary of cubism' in his work. In the years that followed Mondrian rid his art from all typical elements and changed cubism by implying a pure a geometric abstraction. In 1914 the war broke out and Mondrian remained where he was in Holland throughout the war.

Mondrians thinking was also influenced by M.H.J Schoenmakers a philosopher whose definition of the horizontal and the vertical are the 'two fundamental opposites shaping our world'. It was this philosopher that named red, yellow and blue the three Principal colours. Mondrian soon began to compose abstract paintings which where designed from horizontal and vertical lines. He believed that true reality in visual art 'is attained through dynamic movement in equilibrium establish through the balance of unequal but equivalent oppositions. The clarification of equilibrism through plastic art is of great importance for humanity. It is the task of art to express a clear vision of reality'.

Mondrian created a body of paintings portraying 'incomparable spiritual and formal quality'. The an symmetrical balance in his compositions brought out complete harmony.(Fig 15-41).
Like Theo Van Doesburg, Piet Mondrian shared the same abstract ideas. They both wanted to create art without meaning. However they wished to imply order. They together composed compositions inspiring one another.

In several of his paintings Mondrian applies multiple features where the usage of straight lines, bold colours, black and white, sharp edges and right angles are clearly identified marking his work.

Mondrian an Abstract Art 1977

References:

Sweet, L., 2008. Mondrian Madness: In Furniture, Shoes, Home Decor & More.. [Online] 

Available at: http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/08/mondrian-madness-in-furniture-shoes.html

bleasby, l. m., 2013. Piet Mondrian Theosophy - Theosophical Society - Neoplasticism. [Online] 

Available at: http://wafglobal.ning.com/group/arthistory/forum/topics/piet-mondrian-theosophy-theosophical-society-neoplasticism

De Stijl

De Stijl which means the style in Dutch began in 1917 in the Netherlands. The movement was made up of architects, designers and multiple artists many of which implied abstract ideas and thus moved away from old forms and philosophy. It consisted of some well known followers such as Piet Mondrian, Theo Van Doesburg, painter, writer and critic and Gerit Reitveld architect.
Simplicity and abstraction was what the movement sought out to propose. Their aim was to express an 'Utopian idea of harmony and order.' To obtain this the artists reduced elements and used geometric forms and primary colours.
De Stijl is also a publication which was published by Van Doesburg. The book discusses group theories and contains important and meaningful work of graphic design.
De Stijl artists made use of visual vocabulary and sought to express "the mathematical structure of the universe and the universal harmony of nature". Their wish was to express the 'general consciousness of their age.' The movement believed that the destruction of war would destroy and out date the era they lived in allowing a new era where science, technology and political development would emerge carrying with it a new age of objectivity and collectivism. Followers of De Stijl believed that beauty came out from the perfection of their purified work. They went about this by eliminating naturalistic representation, external values and subjective expression. Their work was to contain universal harmony a state they aim to spread throughout the universe. Two important influences implied by De Stijl are Cubism and Constructivism. These influences abled the movement to distinguish its style from the rest. These styles, A construction of multiple shapes, bright colours and multiple straight lines were implied in their work to create this style.
Many book covers implied these characteristics which feature graphical designs. De Stijl was a very influential movement which continues to inspire others to apply such characteristics to their work and design. One well known brand that has applied these modernistic principal to their product is Nike. Furniture brands have also applied these principals.

Bibliography

Anon., n.d. De Stijl. [Online]
Available at: http://www.allbuyart.com/art-movement-Destijl.asp

Jirousek, C., 1995. De Stijl. [Online]
Available at: http://char.txa.cornell.edu/art/decart/destijl/decstijl.htm