Piet Zwart - Art by Candace Cndylnd

IP ART W Z

PIET ZWART

content EDUCATION 1 - 4

EARLY CAREER5 -19

LATER CAREER 20 - 24

“Dutch design is simple and powerful.” — HUGO VAN DEN BOS

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education “The more uninteresting the letter, the more useful it is to the typographer.” — PIET ZWART

Piet Zwart was considered to be a rebellious designer. On his rebellious nature he stated: “Among the few I have indicated, is there no dynamic man of action, the rebel who will help determine the aspect of the collective expression of tomorrow? Ponder this question and know that to make beautiful creations for the sake of their aesthetic value will have no social significance tomorrow, will be non-sensical self-gratification. Every era contains the conditions for providing a rebel.” (http:// www.iconofgraphics.com/Piet-Zwart/). He didn’t accept the standard design rules that governed during his time. Though formally trained as an architect, Zwart is best known for his graphic design work. Not only was he a pioneer in graphic design but he was also a teacher, photographer, and industrial designer. His work is recognizable by its primary colors, repeated patterns, geometrical shapes, and use of photomontage. Recognizing the power of bringing design and architecture together, he identified himself as a “typotekt”, which is part typographer and part architect who builds elaborate layouts with text and photo. Piet Zwart was born on May 25 1885

in Zaandijk, North Holland. It was clear to his parents he was talented at drawing and he received their support from the start in order to make the arts his profession. He received his education at the School of Applied Arts in Amsterdam in 1902, where it is said there was little division between several disciplines as drawing, painting, architecture and applied arts. Zwart and fellow students developed by themselves with little interference from above, as teachers weren’t always present and students were often left alone. While in school, the English Arts and Crafts movement was very popular in the 1900s in the Netherlands. This movement would be Zwart’s initial inspiration. It was here he trained as an architect, and was later hired by De Stijl member Jan Wils, from whom he absorbed the abstract, linear, and geometric qualities of De Stijl design into his own work. His training as an architect included designing furniture and interiors. Working with Jan Wils he learned to incorporate abstract, linear, and geometric attributes of De Stijl design into his own work (http://collection. cooperhewitt.org/people/18044821/bio).

ÂŠ www.iconofgraphics.com/Piet-Zwart/

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Piet Zwart working for Bruynzeel, August 1931

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“Colour is a creative element, not a trimming. ” — PIET ZWART

The emphasis on symmetry, the use of firm horizontals and verticals, and the stern strictness of De Stijl left Zwart feeling stifled and wanting more. In addition to De Stijl, Zwart was drawn to other avant-garde movements, particularly Russian Constructivism and Dada. Modernism began to break through the barricades of what was popular and the norm at the time. Dada being a strong example of this pushed the boundaries of what could be accepted in society and culture. Having had no formal training in traditional typography, Zwart was unrestrained by rules and techniques of traditional design practices. Zwart realized the need for functional typography became an important cultural influence so he took it upon himself to transform it. During the First World War, Zwart focused on furniture, interior and fabric design. After the war new creative ideas of the Avant-garde gave him inspiration to try new ways of communication. Zwart’s career in graphic design was launched in 1919 when he started working for Jan Wils. At the age of 36 Zwart’s first typographic work was created when he was asked to design stationery for Wils’ of-

fice. Years later he would become the assistant of the architect Hendrik. P. Berlage.In 1923 Berlage introduced him to one of his relatives who happened to be the manager of the Nederlandsche Kabelfabriek in Delft, for whom he made hundreds of designs for advertisements, brochures, and countless other pieces of promotional materials. It was here he was encouraged to experiment and explore his love for architecture and design. He experimented with sizes of type, shape, and wittiness to communicate form and function. When Zwart began to experiment with typography in the early 1920s, he was unaware of the languages and techniques, the difference between lower and uppercase. While producing for the NKF he realized how little he knew about the print world (http://www. iconofgraphics.com/Piet-Zwart). He began to rely on a young assistant working in the studio to learn the basic principles to further his work. During this time the main components of Zwart’s style are the use of strong diagonals, photomontage, primary colors, and use of scale but all of these components took a back seat to function and legibility.

ÂŠ www.iconofgraphics.com/Piet-Zwart/

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NKF catalogue two spreads 1927-1928

“Colour is a creative element, not a trimming. ” — PIET ZWART

ÂŠ www.iconofgraphics.com/Piet-Zwart/

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Letterhead for Jan Wils 1921

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EARLY CAREER In 1923, Zwart did his first typographical work for Vickers House. His most famous part of the collection was the advertisement poster, though he also did logo work for them as well. Also in 1923 Zwart met and began working with Paul Schuitema. They later became the most iconic Dutch typographers of that era. Schuitema however, introduced Zwart to a new technique called photogram. Zwart used the technique but began to gravitate to the current trends using image and type together. Zwart’s designs became increasingly free after 1923, reflecting the influence of El Lissitzky, playing with scale and weight (Lupton, Ellen, and Elaine Lustig Cohen p.43). Doing so brought more dimensionality and excitement to his work. Much of his photography possesses a machine like quality of repetition, showing Zwart’s love of architectural structure and balance. His incorporation of photography is best exhibited in the NKF catalog where he engaged the viewer with excitable

intimate views of the products, but always taking much care in not overwhelming the viewer. Knowing the importance of whitespace gave each page balance and breathing room. Photography added another layer of visual communication that could respond to events. The use of photomontage grew from the wish to explore diverse visual information (Becker, Lutz, and Richard Hollis pg. 11). In 1927 Zwart ended his career at Berlage’s office and went on to work at the Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts as well as finding work as a freelance designer with a focus on functional architecture. At the time the Bauhaus school of thought was emerging and in 1929, he was asked to organize lesson plans. In 1930 Bruynzeel hired him, where he was the first designer to create a fully customizable kitchen unique to each user. In the beginning, Piet Zwart designed their annual calendars and other commercial items. After a while he also engaged in other aspects of the company.

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Bruynzeel kitchen drawing 1937

Bruynzeel kitchen Presentation 1937

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Also in 1930, Zwart was asked to design “The Book of PTT” for the Dutch Postal Telegraph and Telephone Company, which taught children how to make use of the Dutch postalservice(http://www.iconofgraphics. com/Piet-Zwart). Having children as his focus he knew he needed to make the book colorful and engaging. After eight years of hard work the book was finally published. While he had much success during these years he also was fired from he Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts in 1933 because he wanted to redesign the arts education, which was not received well (http://collection.cooperhewitt. org/people/18044821/bio). Zwart’s design career unfortunately stalled when German soldiers arrested him in 1942. He and hundreds of other citizens were held captive at the Haaren Hostage Camp. There he recorded everyday life in drawings. . They were eventually released after the war, but the experience affected him severely. He spent the rest of his life primarily working in industrial design.(http://collection.cooperhewitt.org/ people/18044821/bio).

Trio-Reclameboek inside-page 1931 -1937

ÂŠ www.iconofgraphics.com/Piet-Zwart/

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The book of PTT 1938

“The more uninteresting the letter, the more useful it is to the typographer.” — PIET ZWART

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LATER CAREER Zwart died at the age of 92 in 1977. He worked extremely late into the night setting high standards for himself that others thought were unattainable by any one person. He was extremely concerned about promoting himself and worried about what others thought of his work. Piet Zwart was ahead of his time and is an inspiration to present-day designers. His teachings are carried on at the Piet Zwart Institute of the Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam, which happens to be the same art school that fired him. In 2000, Zwart was awarded the “Designer of the Century” award by the Association of Dutch Designers. He will always be known as a key artist that paved the way for the international successes of what is now known as Dutch Design.

Self Portrait 1931

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Monografieën over Filmkunst book covers 1931

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Among the few I have indicated, is there no dynamic man of action, the rebel who will help determine the aspect of the collective expression of tomorrow? Ponder this question and know that to make beautiful creations for the sake of their aesthetic value will have no social significance tomorrow, will be non-sensical self-gratification. Every era contains the conditions for providing a rebel.â&#x20AC;? -PIET ZWART

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Monografieën over Filmkunst book covers 1931

BIBLIOGRAPHY Becker, Lutz, and Richard Hollis. Avant-garde Graphics 1918-1934: From the Merrill C. Berman Collection. London: Hayward Gallery, 2004. Print. Hollis, Richard. Swiss Graphic Design: The Origins and Growth of an International Style, 1920-1965. New Haven: Yale UP, 2006. Print. Lupton, Ellen, and Elaine Lustig Cohen. Letters from the Avant-garde: Modern Graphic Design. New York: Princeton Architectural, 1996. Print. “Piet ZwartDutch, 1885 – 1977.” Piet Zwart. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2014. <http:// collection.cooperhewitt.org/people/ “Piet Zwart.” - iconofgraphics.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2014. <http://www. iconofgraphics.com/Piet-Zwart/>. “Piet Zwart - Typotekt!.” Scribd. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Mar. 2014. <http://www.scribd. com/doc/98700619/Piet-Zwart-Typotekt>.

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Designed by Candace Anderson Typography 2 Spring 2014 Professor Nahid Tootoonchi Typeset using: Baskerville and Bebas Neue Paper: Cream Cardstock