THE
HISTORY
OF
GRAPHIC
DESIGN
Visual communication has always been an integral part in man’s life. From cave paintings to Gutenberg printing press to movements like Swiss Style, we have evolved in our style of expression. As I explored this evolution, some styles and designers just stood out because of their great contribution in the field of design, which completely changed the face of communication and representation. This book is a consolidation of the designers and styles which intrigued me and have been a great source of inspiration.
Art Nouveau is an international style of art, architecture and applied art, that was most popular between 1890 and 1910. Generating enthusiasts throughout Europe and beyond, the movement led to the development of a wide variety of styles, and, was known by various names, such as the Glasgow Style, or, in the German speaking world, Jugendstil. Art Nouveau was aimed at modernizing design, seeking to escape the historical styles that had previously been popular.
Artists drew inspiration from both organic and geometric forms, evolving elegant designs that united delicate and curvilinear natural forms with more angular contours. The practitioners of Art Nouveau sought to revive good workmanship, raise the status of craft, and produce genuinely modern design. Prominent artists, architects and designers during time were Alphonse Mucha, Antoni Gaudi, Josef Hoffmann, Otto Wagner and Franz Matsch.
ART NOUVEAU
Art Deco was a very prominent visual style that started in France just before World War I. The movement was very prominent during the 1920’s and the 1930’s but started fading out as the Second World War approached. The style of visual representation during this period was luxurious, glamorous exuberant. A lot of inspiration was drawn from the technology of the time. The principles of geometry and symmetry were widely used.
The visual style also represented very linear and rectilinear structures. And this influence of geometry, symmetry and linearity was observed majorly in art and design disciplines as well as in architecture and fashion. Cinema and broadcasting became popular as well. A need for visual identity and recognition for products and services was built in the market. Leon Bakst and Boris Bilinsky were well renowned designers during Art Deco.
ART DECO
Constructivism was the most influential modern art movement that flourished in Russia during the 20th century. As the Bolsheviks came to power in the October Revolution of 1917, it acted as a awakening for the hopes and ideas of many Russian artists who supported the revolution’s goals. Constructivism as an art movement focused on function over form. Constructivists to replace art’s traditional emphasis from composition to construction. Prominent artists during this era were El Lissitzky, Alexander Rodchenko and Vladimir Tatlin.
Objects were to be created not in order to express beauty, or the artist’s outlook, or to represent the world, but to carry out a fundamental analysis of the materials and forms of art, one which might lead to the design of functional objects. Constructivist Art looked at the nature of the material and the form and structure of the art piece was highly dependent on the material.
CONSTRUCTIVISM
The International Typographic Style, also known as the Swiss Style, is a graphic design style that emerged in Russia, the Netherlands and Germany in the 1920s, and was the basis of much of the development of graphic design during the mid 20th century. Led by designers like Josef Müller-Brockmann and Armin Hofmann , the style favoured simplicity, legibility and objectivity. The Swiss Style design also propagated the agenda of “Function over form.”
Each design in Swiss Style was in a mathematical grid. Primarily, because a grid is the “most legible and harmonious means for structuring information.”During Swiss Style, the application of, sans-serif typography, grids and asymmetrical layouts was very popular. Combining typography and photography as a means of visual communication was commonly practiced. The primary influential works were developed as posters, which were the most effective means of communication.
SWISS STYLE
Milton Glaser is one of the most influential and recognized designers of the second half of the 20th century. His most recognized and popular designs include the I love NY logo, the psychedelic Bob Dylan poster, and the Brooklyn Brewery logo. He was the founding member of three organizations – Pushpin Studios, New York Magazine and Milton Glaser Inc. Each of which has significantly contributed to the development of the design and advertising professions.
Educated at the Cooper Union in New York and a previous member of the staff and board at the School of Visual Arts, he has constantly been a member of both the design and education communities. His list of recognitions includes the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum’s lifetime achievement award. The character of his work reflects his own personality and has influenced graphic designers of all ages, ethnicity and gender.
MILTON GLASER
David Carson is an American graphic designer, art director and surfer. He is best known for his innovative magazine design, and use of experimental typography. His notable work includes magazine Ray Gun, in which he employed much of the typographic and layout style for which he is popularly known for. His widely imitated aesthetic contributed to the formation of the so-called “grunge typography” era. Carson’s work focuses on the emotion behind the design and the way in which form of the design affects a person.
Carson started experimenting with graphic design during the mid 1980s. His interest in surfing gave him an opportunity to experiment with design, working on several different publications related to the profession. Transworld Skateboarding, Beach Culture, How Magazine and RayGun were among the primary publications on which he worked on. After the success of RayGun, and press from the New York Times and Newsweek, he formed his own studio. David Carson Design was founded in 1995 and is home to Carson and his work .
DAVID CARSON
NAYONIKA GHOSH AUGUST 2016