Tuesday 30 November 2010

5 examples of Modernism

Known more for her metal work,Marianne Brandt (1893–1983), privately worked on photomontage and avant-garde collage compositions at the Bauhaus. Her Tempo, Tempo Progress, Culture, 1927, creates “An image of a confident engineer, presiding over an enormous machine that radiates rings of dynamic text, it vibrates with the optimistic spirit of the Bauhaus...They were not known until the 1970s, after World War II, when a renewed interest in Bauhaus practice led art historian Eckhard Neumann to encourage Brandt, who had returned to her hometown in East Germany after the war, to send some of the early experiments west. All but two of the works here were, as far as we know, not meant for public display. And of those, Tempo-Tempo was a design for a magazine cover that was never used”




22. Surrealism and Selling

Herbert Matter (1907-1984) studied under Fernand Léger at the Académie Moderne in Paris in the late 1920s. Influenced by the photographs and collages of Man Ray and EL Lissitzky, Matter experimented with expressive design using his Rolleicamera. 

He was hired as photographer and designer for the Deberny and Peignot typefoundry, assisting poster designer Cassandre.(#19) 

Upon his return to Switzerland Matter designed a series of travel posters using his signature photomontage technique. The poster above, a combination of three different photographs, was printed by gravure, a high quality process that results in dense ink coverage and rich color.

At age 32 Matter moved to the US and soon produced work for the likes of MOMA, Condé Nast, the Guggenheim Museum, Knoll Furniture and the New Haven Railroad. A film The Visual Language of Herbert Matter is making the rounds to design schools and conferences ...check the viewing schedule here.
http://www.designhistory.org/The_History_of_Posters.html



aP1547 - Russian Poster, Artist: Alexander Rodchenko, 1920s (30x40cm Art Print)
Art print on thick paper, image from our library of original vintage printed ephemera. The overall print size is 30x40cm (approximately 12x16 inches). There is a plain border of about 1cm around the image to allow for framing if required.




This is the poster I designed for my organisation's anual public conference. It's usually a big event, with international speakers and a range of impressive local speakers.
Stylistically, I still took something from constructivism, but it is rather toned down compared to what I'd like to be able to get away with. Come the revolution such sensibilities will be cast into the dustbin of history!
And, of course, anyone who is interested in discussing radical ideas for changing the world is warmly invited!



My ORIGINAL BLOG

http://s-roberts1013-cts.blogspot.com/

Tuesday 2 November 2010

500 word comparrison: The Uncle Sam Range Vs The Poster


Comparing and contrasting design of ‘The Uncle Sam Range’ (1876) by Schumacher & Ettlinger, New York and ‘Poster’ Savile Lumley (1915). Both pieces of design where created in completely different timepieces and for different purposes.

The Uncle Sam Design is an advert made at the time of America’s 100 year of being founded. It is basically an advert celebrating how great America is and how stupid every other country is. The Poster was made in the middle of WW1, getting people to join up for the war. But both posters are made to persuade the audience to change their life for the better in some way.


The fonts in both designs are placed at the bottom of the page, as they are both secondary to the imagery. ‘The Uncle Sam Range’ is the predominant part of writing and is in upper case to stand out, the font used would have been used on posters and is now deemed as a direct link to American history. ‘Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War?’ is written in a font that is child friendly, italic and stylised, written as though spoken from the father’s children.

Both Designs rely on their image to convey their message. The first thing you notice about ‘The Uncle Sam Range’ is the bold, garish use of America patriotism, the American flag is used everywhere along with the colours red, blue and white, American Eagle. Uncle Sam being the main focus of attention set to sell ‘the Range’ cooker. Uncle Sam is a fictional character from American and known globally as the face of America.  The imagery is the world at dinner with Uncle Sam and his children Dixie, West (sat together) and New England (this shows divide). The world is holding a scroll of its menu’s from other countries showing racist, stereotypical remarks towards other countries, insulting them in order to make America Superior. The key piece of information comes from the clock showing the years ‘1876-1776’ celebrating 100 years of America.  However, the imagery used in ‘The Poster’ is a drawing of the future. Using a completely different style of drawing and a simple scene is being set of a well off family, showing a father directly looking at you, surrounded by his children. In a subtle way he is regretting not joining the army and is sending the message to men now to join the war and be a hero. This imagery tests men’s egos. Making them want to make their future children proud. The image also glorifies war, as this man has a family and is wealthy calling the war great makes the audience feel obliged to be apart of something that will be remembered in history. Suggesting that even if you didn’t join the war it will be a win and everyone will be rich.

The target audience of both posters are completely different. The Uncle Sam poster is aimed at the aspirational middle class men. All of the imagery shows a high-class lifestyle, but as it uses such slander and stupid methods of advertising, an educated person would not believe or buy into the fact that if they bought The Range their life would be of this class and the American Dream would be theirs.  Where as ‘The Poster’ is aimed at middle/ upper class to persuade them to join the war, as the poor would have been better off in the war with a salary and food, whereas the middle class had a comfy cushy lifestyle and didn’t need to go to war. Both audiences want money and the idea that their life will be better is they buy the Range, or join the War.