New Graphic Design Harrison Giles
modernism
Proceeding out of the rebellious mood at the beginning of the 20th century, modernism was an original approach that had a strong desire to revitalize the way modern civilization viewed life, art, politics, and science. This rebellious attitude that grew between 1900 and 1930 had, as its basis, the rejection of European culture for having become too corrupt, complacent and lethargic, ailing because it was bound by the artificialities of a society that was too preoccupied with image and too scared of change.
One of the causes of this iconoclasm was the fact that early 20th-century culture was literally re-inventing itself on a daily basis. With so many scientific discoveries and technological innovations taking place, the world was changing so quickly that culture had to re-define itself constantly in order to keep pace with modernity and not appear anachronistic. By the time a new scientific or philosophical system or artistic style had found acceptance, each was soon after questioned and discarded for an even newer one. As a consequence of the new technological dynamics, the modernists felt a sense of constant anticipation and did not want to commit to any one system that would thereby harness creativity, ultimately restricting and annihilating it. And so, in the arts, for instance, at the beginning of the 20thcentury, artists questioned academic art for its lack of freedom and flirted with so many isms: secessionism, fauvism, expressionism, cubism, futurism, constructivism, dada, and surrealism. Pablo Picasso went as far as experimenting with several of these styles, never wanting to feel too comfortable with any one style. The arts were now beginning to break all of the rules since they were trying to keep pace with all of the theoretical and technological advances that were changing the whole structure of life. In doing so, artists broke rank with everything that had been taught as being sacred and invented and experimented with new artistic languages that could more appropriately express the meaning of all of the new changes that were occurring. The
modernists were militant about distancing themselves from every traditional idea that had been held sacred by Western civilization, and perhaps we can even go so far as to refer to them as intellectual anarchists in their willingness to vandalize anything connected to the established order.
Several philosophical theoreticians were to change the way that modern man perceives the external world, particularly in their refutation of the Newtonian principle that reality was an absolute, unquestionable entity divorced from those observing it. The first to do so was F. H. Bradley, who considered that the human mind is a more fundamental feature of the universe than matter and that its purpose is to search for truth. His most ambitious work, Appearance and Reality: A Metaphysical Essay (1893), introduced the concept that an object in reality can have no absolute contours but varies from the angle from which it is seen. In one of the most seminal works of this century, “On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies,� Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity held that, if, for all frames of reference, the speed of light is constant and if all natural laws are the same, then both time and motion are found to be relative to the observer. In other words, there is no such thing as universal time and thus experience runs very differently from man to man. Politics and the economy would also transform the way that modern man looked at himself and the world in which he lived. Science and technology were radically changing the means of production. Whereas in the past, a worker became involved in production from beginning to end, by 1900 he had become a mere cog in the production line, making an insignificant contribution. Therefor division of labor made him feel fragmented, alienated not only from the rest of society but from himself. One of the effects of this fragmentation was the consolidation of workers into political parties that threatened the upper classes. And the new political idealism that was to culminate in the Russian Revolution that swept through Europe.
artists
PabloPicasso JeanMichelBasquiat DavidHockney FernandLeger AlbertMarquet DavidP.Shterenberg AndyWarhol
philosophers FrancisH.Bradley AlbertEinstein AlfredWhitehead SigmundFreud CarlJung
postmodernism Firstly, postmodernism was a movement in architecture that rejected the modernist, avant garde, passion for the new. Modernism is here understood in art and architecture as the project of rejecting tradition in favour of going “where no man has gone before” or better: to create forms for no other purpose than novelty. Modernism’s valorization of the new was rejected by architectural postmodernism in the 50’s and 60’s for conservative reasons. They wanted to maintain elements of modern utility while returning to the reassuring classical forms of the past. The result of this was an ironic bricka-brack or collage approach to construction that combines several traditional styles into one structure. As collage, meaning is found in combinations of already created patterns. If moderist objects suggested utopia, progress and machine-like perfecttion, then the postmodern object seemed to come from a dystopian and far-from-perect future. Designers salvaged and distressed materials to produce an aesthetic of urban apocalypse. As the 1980s approached, postmodernism went into high gear. What had begun as a radical fringe movement became the dominant look of the ‘designer decade’. Vivid colour, theatricality and exaggeration, everything was a statement. Whether surfaces were glossy, faked or deliberately distressed, they reflected the desire to combine subversive statements with commercial appeal. The most important delivery systems for this new phase in postmodernism were magazines and music. Postmodernism is “post” because it denies the existence of any ultimate principles, and it lacks the happiness of there being a scientific, philosophical, or religious thruth which will explain everything for everybody - a characteristic of the so-called “modern” mind. The mistake of the postmodern position is that, in placing all principles under the view of its skepticism, it must realize that even its own principles are not beyond questioning. The most influential early postmodern philosopher were Jean Baudrillard, Jean-
Francois Lyotard and Jacques Derrida. Michel Foucault is also often recognised as an early postmoderist although recognised as an early postmoderist although he personally rejected that label. Following Nietzsche, Foucault argued that knowledge is produced through the operations of power and changes fundamentally in different historical periods. Philosopher John Deely has argued for contentious claim that the label “postmodern” for thinkers such as Derrida is premature. Insofar as the “so-called” postmoderns follow the thoroughly modern trend of idealism, it else. Apostmoderism that lives up to the premodern preoccupation with “things” neither with the modern confinement to “ideas” but must come to terms with the way of signs embodied in the semiotic beliefes of the Portuguese philosopher John Poinsot and the American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce.
artists
BarbaraKruger JohnBaldessari RachaelWhiteread FrancescoClemente LeonKossof KeithHaring FrankMoore
philosophers JeanBaudrillard JeanFrancois JacquesDerrida JohnDeely JohnPoinsot CharlesSandersPierce
modernism research David Hockney
I chose to look at Hockney’s photography as i think the way he has presented them are very interesting and give it a different edge on just normal photography. It would be nice to work in this style for the photography on the front of the magazine or in a double page spread. It works well the brief as some of the images are structured in a grid format and show the whole image, i prefer this style as he has portraid the same landscape from different perspectives. This would be nice to experement working with simple
building landscapes or tree’s and wide open countyside. The other style is very similar but has just been the original image and cut up into different squares and layered over the top of each other to recreate the original image. They both have a very modern look about them as i mentioned the grid system before where its all very structured and legible and breaking the barriers of photography. Photoshop would be a simple way to experiment with this style and get used to it to use in my final outcome.
modernism research Fernand Leger
Just looking at Leger’s work you instantly get a modern feel to the edge of his paintings, from the colours used to how he has illustrated objects or figures. The female figure almost looks like a modern recreation of Mona Lisa, with the expressionless face and the long black hair. Although some of his paintings seem to have objects place very randomly they all seem to work and line up together with either squares in the background spacialy set out or the perspective of objects together.
Based on what the magazine is about for the cover i could get a photography portrait and illustrate it in ths style for the cover and use the vibrant colours Leger has also used. Or however the typography is layed out this style would look nice in typography on the cover or a header. Maybe even just using the block colours in shapes on a double page spread would be quite effective if they are layed out in the grid system with relevent colours working well off each other.
modernism research Jean Michel Basquiat
Basquiat’s work is ver expressive with his brish strokes in his illustrations of what you could call figures. There is almost a graffiti look to his work with it looking like layers of artwok over the top of each other on an old wall with bits torn away. I like how he has recreated figures but put a nice edge to it with exagerating on different elements of the body. This style would work well on a double page spread as the pieces are very large and intense. The backgrounds he has created are nice to use for the cover of the magazine as they are bold and bright which
will catch the eye of the viewer but also give it a nice edgy and modern look. His ignificent style hasnt been used that much and you wouldnt really tell its from the modernist period by looking at it, but if you understand where the pieces are coming from with the expression and individuality of his work. As the work is so crowded im not sure wether it will worl well with the modern grid system or wether the images will look nice on a plain white background with typography in a nice grid format around the images.
modernism research Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol is a famous house hold name in art from the Pop Art movement. His work is very bright and out there, which is what the modernist’s portraid. His work is so iconic because of the way it stands out with the different look and garish colours he used, which is a reoccuring apperance in the work of the modenists. His style has been recreated so much that it able to do this style for the mogazine cover and double
page spreads. Whether i choose to recreate famous photography in Andys style or use my own photography it ill be clear where my inspiration has come from. The style would work well with no background and just the main focus design which will look nice and legible on a cover or double page spread. Whether using this style will be cliche with Warhol’s style so famous and not really a grim format to his work like modern work.
modernism research Kazimir Malevich
postmodernism research Barbara Kruger
Barbara Kruger is very much typography based, but the work she produces almost slaps the message in your face. The colours she uses aswell also work well together but still keep the design bold and statement.
postmodernism research Keith Haring
postmodernism research John Fekner
Very much so typography based again, but the choise of location is what makes this work so good and post modern. The way he has just sprayed the text on in not form makes it look like it has been there the whole time the building or object has.
postmodernism research
Leon Kossof
postmodernism research John Baldessari
This work is very weird at first sight but looking deeper into the meaning behin dis showing that actions can show no emotion with just the face covered everytime. This could be done for my cover but would hve to sort out a studio and models to use my own images on it. Leaving just random human featurs leavs a guessing game to the viewer and also adds abit more detail to the work itself.
graphic design
Wim Crouwel The way Crouwel lays out his work is very similar with block colour either over half of the page or block colour in the typography. You can tell the designs are from the modernist period as the way they are layed out is very symetrical and from a grid form.
graphic design Wolfgang Weingart The way that Weingart has seleted his image placement makes it look like there is no structure to the page but looking at the text and full piece as a whole you can see that everything fits in well together and the messy mish mash woks well in the style. The colours used in the first 2 pieces are used well in which they catch your eye straight away and then the text is there for you to read after you have been drawn in.
graphic design
Paul Rand
Paul Rand is very big in Modern graphic design with some very famous work being designed by him. He has also design mastheads for magazines like Apparel Arts and Direction which links very well to this brief as it is graphic and editorial design.
graphic design
F. H. K. Henrion
magazine cover research Different vibrant colour used in a bold shape to indicate a new feture or product available with the magazine.
Contrasting colours over feture image to make it stand out as its vital information on the issue and cover
Logo over the feture image with the colour scheme ftting in around the models outfit and hair colour.
Linking the colours from the models outfit to the logo of the magazine.
Using a quote to promote the stop and entise people to want to read on more about the article.
Sub text around the sides layed out in grid format with the same leading to make it look clean and simple.
Contrasting colours on the text so its legible over the models outfit. Text set out in grid system on each side again similar to VOGUE cover.
magazine cover research Sub header explaining what the issue is about.
Simply useing the main image as the vocal point with just a little subheading the explain. Minimal but powerful
Larger text for more information about what the viewers want to read.
Subtext behind the main image making the image the main visual point.
Kerning the same on all the text even for different point size of the font so it all fits in with each other.
masthead research Paul Rand
The next few images are examples of mdern magazines in which the mastehead whoks well in each issue and each different cover design.
masthead research
masthead research
graphic design in magazines These next few pages are how graphic design works with magazines on the covers and the layout of double page spreads. These LOVE magazines are really nice as the covers are so simple and plain with just the mast head and the main cover image yet they look like alot of work has gone into them to make
them effective. I like the bold masthead which draws your eyes to the cover and then the image and sub header give you the initial information needed. The design with in the masthead is nice, i like how it gives the work the 3D look to it which just adds more safistication to the overall cover.
This cover is very similar to the LOVE cover where that only really have the mast head and then the feature image.I like how on each cover they have changed the colour of the mast head to go with the theme of the image it makes the cover look more like a piece of art than a re running image every month. The double page spread is nice
how they haven’t over layed the page with text and focused more on the design and photography asspect of the page. The white space really works easy on the eyes and helps you be able to focus on the page more. Like the covers the image and page have all the same colour scheme which works nice together as it doesnt look like there is a sharp finish to the image.
These are some nice double page spreads i found. I like them because there not crammed with text, they are just simple and easy to look at and intake the information.
As soon as i saw this work on a design blog i instantly drew too it as it was the perfect style i was looking for for my magazine cover.The use or nutral colours works well with the plain white background and bold black masthead. The headers are nice aswell working the thin font in with works well with the issues being abit longer than usual making them look
more thinner. The double page spreads on the next page are from the same magazine as you can tell from the thin font being used. Tthe photography and layout of the DPS’s are really elegent and clean. Like the other double page spreads they havent crowded it with loads of type and information, but the the page speak for its self.
This is a modern typeface designed by Si Scott, i like how he has removed the thin parts of the type but it is still legible. It would be nice to try and design something similar, its nice how its similar to some of the fonts used in some of the covers in my research.
Zeit Magazin has 2 different covers to each issure using the same photoshoot just different images and with a slight different layout on the second one which is on the inside page of the main cover. I like how they have used a boarder for the second cover, making the best use of the white space and then just adding the text at the bottom centered.
The masthead for this magazine is so simple yet i really like how they have used it. Overlaying a patter on the background of it on the cover at the top is such a nice effect to it. The double page spreads have been layed out nicely with the positioning of the pictures to the text, working the images into a triangle workds well with the triangle cut out on the cover of the bottom cover.
The masthead really stands out to me on this cover as its such a bold statment on the cover of the magazine. I like how the two fonts work well together but the only downside is
that you dont know what order it is wether its PAPER super or super PAPER. It would be nice to try and experiment with the style and find two fonts that work well with each other.
I chose to show this magazine in my reseach as i thought the ideas of having the asatate cover with just the masthead on was an idea i have never seen before and sort of implies you can place any image behind to create your own cover for the issue. The simplisitic layout of their double page spreads is so clean and legible. i like how they have used a quote as there main visual pointit makes you want to find the quote and read on to find out the whole story.
I really like the style of these designs as i like the look of the boarder around the image or the thick white boarder around the whole image. I feel using this style makes a piece looks more modern and structured which is what the breif is asking.
These covers also have a boarder which i like on the cover of a magazine. I think they look very modern and structured well. I would like to experiment with this style and see how i can incorporate a design into it.
I like the layout of this double page spread as its so modernist and simplistic with just a header and a little strap line underneath it with the big image being the main visual point.
I found these on samueljohnsondesign.com, as soon as i saw the layout of the double page spreads i loved how he has layed the text out and still made the pages look interesting with no images. I like the simple 1 coloum of text on the contents page i feel he is using the white space to his advantage.
tutorial - grid system This is just my first tutorial i did on inDesign to get used to using grids and layout for text. I learnt how to alighn text to baseline and set up a base line grid. This helped alot within my final magazine as it made the text look so much more professional and structured.
masthead Masthead
NEW GRAPHIC DESIGN
NEW GRAPHIC DESIGN
NEWGRAPHICDESIGN
N NGD G D
NEW NEW GRAPHIC GRAPHIC DESIGN DESIGN NEW G RAPHIC DESIGN
NEW GRAPHIC DESIGN
NEW GRAPHIC DESIGN
N N
E
W
NEW GRAPHIC DESIGN G
R
A
G
P
H
I
C
D
E
S
D I
G
N
NEW // GRAPHIC // DESIGN
new graphic
new graphic design new graphic design ngd
N E W G R A PH IC D ESI GN
These are the 3 masthead i took through to work on with my cover layout. I think they are all quite modern in design and there are aspects of my research that comes out in them.
cover layout
These are all some experimental layouts i did with my chosen masthead. I was taking most of my inspiration from The Sanahunt Times cover with the boarder and the misplaced image. Also the DUB CNN cover has the misplaced image look with the bold masthead which is another look i was going for. It was hard trying to find the right layout without actually having my cover design done but i used a photo from my clothing line shoot just to see how it would look with an image placed in. I think the style of the masthead works well with the style of the cover as its a sort of structured but then looks like its misplaced but ment to be there.
double page spread layout
These are some example of double page spreads i layed out in Indesign to see how they would look. i have taked all of my inspiration from the double page spreads in my research as i hope you can see looking through them.
After deciding i didnt know what cover layout to go for i did some rough sketches on some ideas for the cover design
Use a skyline or modern architecture and use the different perspectives like some of David Hockneys work.
A philosophers quote in the style of Barbara Kruger
Modern architecture but with little images building up the initial image. Another philosophers quote but spray painted onto the side of an abandonded building in the style of John Fekner
The word grid in the similar layout to one of F. H. K Henrion’s work.
This is a few abandonded building i went and found so see if it was possible to spray a philosophers quote onto. They all had security so it will be hard to go and spray on there without getting caught.
This was a quick photoshop i did on how the spraypaint stencil will look. As the heading was so long it doesnt look the best where it is all on one line but then putting them on other lines didnt look as good. I didnt go through with this idea on the basis of that reason.
Just a quote from philosopher Albert North Whitehead in the style of Barbera Kruger.
After looking at this piece from her i thought why not use a picture of the philosopher to go with their qquote as she uses images in the back of her work.
This is a quote and image of Bertland Russell in the style of Babera Kruger with the image in the background it adds more guessing to the piece and finishes the look off by the contrast from the black and red.
This is the quote from before but layed over the top of the philosopher Alfred North Whitehead.
I did another design using Carl Jung in the same style, just to see which one i prefer the most.
New Graphic Design
I looked back at this cover and liked the layout so i started to experiment in this style.
This was my fisrt attempt at a similar layout, i used the rulers in illustrator so that everything is presented and layed out neatly.
Issue 1 May2013
New Graphic Design
Issue 1 May2013
New Graphic Design
Keeping the same layout but just seeing how it will look with different aspects changed like the image size or length of the boarder lines.
Issue 1 May2013
New Graphic Design
Issue 1 May2013
After adding the heading to the cover, this is how my final cover design looked like. I chose to just go with ‘ngd’ for the mastehead to make it bold and out there for people to see it and wonder what the masthead means. I tried to use the layout as all structured as the breif was about modernism so i wanted it to be all linked in around that. I am happy with the final outcome as the design, masthead and layout work well and the cover is able to work with designs in the future for further issues.
Form Follows Function An exploration of Modernism and Post Modernism
inner pages
These are my 3 double page spreads for the magazine. I took most inspiration from Samuel Johnsons double page spreads and hypebeast dps witht he image on one page and the text on the other page. I chose to leave the boarder so that it ties in with my cover and the magazine looks a whole.