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The square generated the grid. Gerstner’s typographic language varies dramatically but is discipline by the grid – rigorously imposed, but flexible in use.
Aus der Sammlung des Kunsthauses Zurick Joseph Muller-Brockmann, 1953.
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QUADRAT Trata-se de uma publicação cuja intencionalidade é a contraposição de dois designers fundamentais no Design Suiço, Muller Brockmann e Karl Gerstner. Impulsionadores do desenvolvimento da grelha, mais conhecida como “International Typographic Style”, inovaram a criação de tipografia com fotomontagem, originando um novo estilo suíço. Ambos, Muller-Brockmann e Gerstner, partem de formas geométricas para a criação da grelha. Brockmann, utiliza uma variação dessas formas sendo, comparativamente a Karl Gerstner, consideravelmente mais rígido a nível matemático, utilizando no layout a geometria aplicada numa menor escala, incusivé a regra de ouro. Brockmann introduz a grelha como uma forma de guia para os designers no planeamento de obras ou mesmo publicações. Deste modo, uma estruturação geométrica pode tornar-se muito mais efectiva na construção de planos ou espaços que seguem uma ordem específica. Muller Brockmann, destaca-se também pela geometrização proveniente dos seus ideais matemáticos, motivada por uma tentativa de construção de planos ou espaços que transmitem um processo de organização. O mesmo sugere um ideal de uma expressão absoluta e universal através de concepções objectivas e impessoais. “Muller-Brockmann applied geometry to his posters he saw its use for design on a smaller scale, on the book page, as a grid.” Por outro lado, Gerstner, apesar das suas características comuns a Brockmann, atribui um lugar de destaque à tipografia integral onde há uma relação de complementaridade (e não mimética) entre tipografia e imagem que deriva da constructive-concrete abstract painting. A relevância que Gerstner confere a esta arte, onde prevalece uma comunicação objectiva com uma organização assimétrica dos elementos, contribui para um layout onde é dominante uma unidade visual presente na composição, o quadrado. O quadrado, surgindo muitas vezes desmultiplicado no layout, assume-se como figura geométrica principal, sendo que o destaque a ele conferido justifica o nome atribuído à presente publicação. A geometrização da arte e a utilização do quadrado para a criação de formas abstractas.
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BROCKMANN
As previously referred, both Muller-Brockmann and Gerstner depart from geometric shapes to create the grid. Brockman, defends simplicity, reducing the concepts, predominating in itself an ideal vision of an absolute and universal expression. Brockmann introduces the grid as a guide in a form of guide to designers in the planning of works or publications where several variations are considerably rigid (because of its mathematical level) using the layout geometry applied on a smaller scale. Consequently, the rigidity given mathematically make the construction of plans more effective or the construction of spaces that follow a specific order. Thus, this design is characterized by its objectivity and synthesis, giving rise to a depersonalisation of design. Despite common features with Brockmann, on a different perspective, Gerstner gives a honoured place to the full typography where there is a complementary relationship (not mimetic) between typography and image that comes from constructive-concrete abstract painting. The relevance that Gerstner gives to this art, in which prevails an objective communication with an asymmetric organisation of the elements, contributes to a layout where it is dominant visual unit present in the composition, the square. Thus, Gerstner origins a grid dominated by greater flexibility, which led him to be considered one of the pioneers of Swiss Design. Gerstner presents a variety of peculiarities in his vast publications such as the left-aligned text, the use of a dramatic typography, strictly enforced but flexible to use and the fact that he ultimately limited himself only to grotesque fonts type. Brockmann is a grid promoter, where Gerstner applies new ideologies to this, creatively addressing the graphic design, leaving the “Swiss� stereotype behind. Although they both have common ideas, we can assume that works of Brockmann and Gerstner contain small features which give rise to a complexity of works.
GERSTNER
GRAPHIC DES A CREATIVE L MINIMAL AND ABSOLUTE EXPRESSION
MATHEMATICAL LAWS
NON-DEFINED TYPOGRAPHY
GEOMETRY AS A GUIDE
RIGID GRID FUNCIONALITY, CLARITY AND RACIONALITY
CONSTRUCTIVE-CONCRETE ABSTRACT ART LAWS
TYPOGRAPHY AS AN HONORABLE PLACE
INTEGRAL TYPOGRAPHY
DESIGN AS AN ART
SIGN AS LOGIC
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FLEXIBLE GRID
Experimental photograph/light painting Joseph Muller-Brockmann, 1953
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BROCKMANN By the 1960s the grid had become a routine procedure. Muller-Brockmann’s text book presentation of his own methods, Gestaltungsproblem des Graphikers (The Graphic Artist and His Design Problems), first published in 1961, introduced the grid to an international readership of designers. The Grid came to imply the style and methods of Swiss graphic design. Muller- Brockmann replace Ernst Keller at the Kunstgewerbeschule,the school’s principal, Hans Fischli announced that ‘‘Constructive Graphic Design, without individual affectation and without confusing playfulness, will be our guideline’’. Fischli was referring to the restricted visual language demonstrated in ‘’ Konstruktive Graphik’’, exhibition held at the Kunstwerbemuseum in the Spring of 1958. Organized by Muller Brockmann, ‘’ Kustructive Grafik’’ displayed the work of three senior collegues: Hans Newburg, Richard Paul Lohse and Carlo Vivarelli, in the catalogue Neuburg explained that ‘’ Constructive Graphics, according to us is design that is developed out of the subject matter and is new and unique to each job”. But he admitted that - We can regognise most of the work on view a geometrical style of presentation which is a result of trying to compose the plaines or the space so as to bring about a certain order. And Neuburg was ready as usual to defend the exhibitors against charge of formalism: Designers of Constructive graphics work from functional principles similar to those of modern architects, principals that are not in fact formalist, but constrctive (these three designers) have tryied to find a new stylistic basis for its task, and the carefull observer will find that are no schematic ideas dominating the finishing designs. And between the individual solution of each of the three exhibitors there are strking differences. When Muller-Brockmann adopted the style of Concrete art shared common ground: both were based in mathematical laws. But when Muller-Brockmann adopted the style of Concrete art for his concert posters, he began with an image which he reconstructed according to a geometrical plan. This was to reverse the method of Concrete art, which is to proceed from an idea to his visual expression. After Muller-Brockmann applied geometry to his posters he saw its use for design on a smaller scale, on the book page, as a grid. (1) The 30’s, the period that saw MullerBrockmann’s trainning as a graphic artist and
the start of his profectional career were a decade of contradictions in swiss history. There were irreconcileble attitudes towards political, social and cultural issues. Conservative reliance on hierarchical structures and traditional time honored values was confronted with a politically moderate opposition interested in constructive modernism. This new minority actively pursued innovatory trends in architecture, art and commercial graphic design. The decade of the 30’s was the craddle of Swiss Graphic Design, which was to make an international impact in the 50’s. Objective photography quickly established itself among young designers has an alternative to illustrate representation. the explored the issued discussed in Moholy-Nagy’s essay on the use of photography in advertising, such as the “rules of visual effectiveness” and the truth-impression of aaaa aphy. New typographical laws were derived from Jan Tschichold’s “Elementary Typography” and his idea of assimetrical surface harmony. AkzidenzGrotesk proved to be the appropriate type, effectively enhanced by geometrical elements from the typographical repertoire. The aim was visual unity of typography and image. Muller-Brockmann established himself as an illustrator in the 40’s and developed a drawing style that was distinctivly his own, frequently with surrealistic and humurous traits. Exhibition design continued to be a focal point of his activities. Experience in the war years led Muller-Brockmann to the belief that graphic-design if it was to inform and enlighten without being manipultive - had to be based on objective criteria. Deeply interested in 20’s typography and advertising design, he studied the work and theories of Lissitzky, Moholy-Nagy, Tschichold, Burchartz and the Rash brothers, but he also concentrated on the objective Swiss Graphic Design of the 30’s. Gradually these studies begun to affect his own work. Muller-Brockmann acquired typographic experience in 1950 by designing concert posters for the Zurich concert hall, Tonhalle. Reduction of typesizes and ctus and the functional organization of the information in asymmetrical arrangements are the design principles behind this work. Until 1952 his favored typeface was a semi-bold grotesque. Then Muller-Brockmann discovered the advantages and beautiful detail provided by the Akzidenz Grotesk Typeface, which became his preferred choice from then onwards. (3)
(1) Swiss Graphic Design, The origins and Growth of an International Style; Richard Hollis; 2006. (3) Josef Muller-Brockmann, Pioneer of Swiss Graphic Design; Lars Muller; 1994.
Chromorphose, Karl Gerstner, 1974
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GERSTNER Gerstner’s importance was in the three ways he had built on earlier work. First, he had developed the idea of a flexible grid – the central theme of Gerstner’s thinking was on computational systems, which he described as ‘programmes’. Second, he was a pioneer of unjustified, ranged-left setting for text. Third, he had extended ‘functional’ into ‘integral’ typography, where the message and its form are inseparable and interdependent – idea, text and typographical presentation are one. The book presents the five decades of his working life, with an introduction to each section (text on white pages) and a commentary on each job (reproduced in white panels on warm grey). Each decade is preceded by an essay There are also essays (on cold, blue-grey pages) on art and design, on visual language, on logos and labels, on the job of the art director, and ‘Good Design: What Is It?’ (1) Chance and enterprise gave Gerstner the finest teachers and the most inspiring and fruitful connections. He wasted none of them. He visited Cassandre in Paris and came to know Tschichold in Basel. He joined Hans Finsler’s photography course in Zurich. As the youngest member of the Swiss Werkbund design association, he met Max Bill and Alfred Roth, the veteran architect who edited the monthly Werk. Pressed by Gerstner to report more on Swiss graphic design, Roth gave the 25-year-old a whole issue of the magazine to edit and design. That November 1955 issue was a turning point. Swiss graphic design was presented, for the first time, as a logical development of Modernism. His design of Werk was radical, too. Gerstner used a complex grid to accommodate the varying proportions of the work reproduced and he ranged the text left, unjustified, – a novelty attacked by some of the pioneers. The founding fathers of graphic design admired by Gerstner were all painters, more artists than designers. And he, too, has had a continuous career as an artist. His first book, published in 1957, was a survey of the school of concreteconstructive abstract painting to which he belongs. The small, square Kalte Kunst [Cold Art?], as it was titled, included his guiding lights, Max Bill and Richard Paul Lohse. Bill was probably the earliest to devise controlling grids for organising text and pictures; Lohse had
devised one for the monthly Bauen+Wohnen in the 1940s. As an element of their typographic grids as well as their paintings, both Bill and Lohse used the square. The square generated the grid he devised in 1957 for Markus Kutter’s experimental novel, Schiff nach Europa [Ship to Europe]. It is an exercise in styles: conventional narrative; play script; conversation that becomes loud argument; newspaper journalism, etc. Gerstner’s typographic language varies dramatically, but is disciplined by the grid – rigorously imposed, but flexible in use – and the restriction to only grotesque fonts. In this example of ‘integral typography’, the type makes the image. (2) Some of the leading swiss designers after the Second World War were also Concrete artists – Max Bill, Richard Paul Lohse and Karl Gerstner being the best known. For others, the discipline of Concrete art lay behind the formal, geometrical organization of the graphic work. Tschichold has seen the new art as a metaphor of a new world, as well as a model for graphic design. It makes use of exact geometric forms and so achieves an aesthetic parapharase of our technical-industrial times.Among the new generation it was the work of the Siegfried Odermatt in Zurich and Karl Gerstner in Basel that became the best known. If MullerBrockmann can be seen as the popularizer of the grid it was Gerstner who gave it most thought. Indeed, Gerstner thought more creatively about graphic design than any of the Swiss designers, and he published his ideias in serie of books and articles, beginning in Werk in 1954. Gerstner began his design career as an apprentice in Fritz Buhler`s Studio in Basel, were one of his colleagues was Armin Hoffmann his supervisor was Max Schmid. Schmid left to take charge of design at Geiigy, where he introduced Gerstner tohis team in 1949. Gerstner opened his own studio in Basel in 1953. He had already helped to produce pamphlets on the politics of town planning, as radical in their design as their views. Gerstner’s interests, to give graphic design not only a wider context but an intellectual basis, was developed over the next two decades. Though he distanced graphic design from painting, he was prepared to confront both with the same seriousness. (1)
(1) Swiss Graphic Design, The origins and Growth of an International Style; Richard Hollis; 2006. (2) Eye Magazine, The Designer as a Programmer; Richard Hollis, A. M. Cassandre; 2002.
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