Controversy was a main goal for the post modernists. They wished to challenge the minds of the public to consider subjects such as homosexuality, making fun or political values & their own values. They decided to broaden their minds using methods such as mixing history with the new. They didn't believe that fine art & commercial pieces should be completely separated. A graphical poster could be seen as art, a painting could be used as an advertisement. Why not?
The pair of men featured in this piece are the artists Gilbert & George, well known for their offensive, controversial imagery. They are known as the living statues, this originating from an art performance during their school days. However this nickname continued due to their suits (they usually wear them) being known as their uniform, they are never seen not wearing them in public & furthermore one is never seen without the other. As you can see they cause controversy with there apparent homosexuality portrayed in many of their pieces.
These squares & bold colours are the most common style throughout their work. I feel it that it makes the subject matter more comical due to the unrealistic but vibrant shades.It is believed that they wanted to cause the subject to be funny as they wished for the public to learn to love & laugh about such issues in society. They created such controversial pieces to stir the reaction. That is what they & many other post modernists enjoyed the most.
If society learned to make fun out of such issues the world would be a lot easier to survive in. Controversy I believe is the greatest thing to create with art. If artists never challenged the minds of society, present time would be a very depressing period.
During this art movement communication appeared to be the most important factor. Abstract illustrations were not common as they did not suit propaganda. The posters needed to be realistic to clearly communicate the purpose & meaning behind the poster. It was more commercial than thought of as a piece of art. They needed to relate to the public by featuring subjects that occurred in everyday life. Even though most of the pieces were political, by featuring subjects that society can relate to, it draws them in to whatever party that the poster used as a subject. Relating to the public is a classic strategy of any politician as they need to make the audience feel that they understand them & want to help.
This is a piece by Robert Rauschenberg who was a great influence to artists from that era & to the present day. He felt drowned in media, revolutions & milestones happening in his period of time. With too much to take in he decided to create a piece to allow a better understanding with layers of his own personal understandings also. This technique allows himself & the audience to absorb all the events taking place in their time. With the strong orange washes, black & white images, this makes for a strong impact. However this is toned down with a light blue wash of photos & understandings. This I believe to be Robert Rauschenberg's mind toning down the information so it is easier to absorb.
This is a revolutionary point of time for the world & I believe Socialist Realism was there to make the world understand the significance of this time as well as making it more interesting.
There were many conflicts between those free natured individuals who were at peace with themselves & those who were lacking in human morals & fought only for themselves. Art was very free during this period & as far as I can tell didn't really develop any further in a graphical manner.
Through 1945-1991, the effects of the cold war continued due to the conflict between Communists & the Soviet as they had gained the power of nuclear weapons, enough to blow each other off the face of the planet.
The art style for this period appears very solemn with its thick black lines, dark collages with the contrast of brighter colours for pieces on the subject of family, assuming this was the only thing people really looked to for hope.
After the many conflicts between the artists values of anti-history & unifying all the elements, a style of art was formed which was finally applicable to posters that was both visually appealing but informative in a graphic manner. The artist who was well known for this during this era was illustrator David Klein, his most famous posters being for Trans World Airlines.
This piece was for TWA advertising flights to New York. The palette for this poster has a beautiful range of vibrant shades which contrast well against the black allowing for the posters design to really pop out. The fact that he has used so many abstract colours & simple blocks to create the piece but it is still clear to the audience what the destination of the image is, is a perfect example of good communication through a visually appealing manner. However I feel that the reason for the typography being red & bold isn't just to create contrast but to set the idea of New York in the audience's minds. This way no matter how you look at this poster you can't help but see New York. The clever thing about the design also is that it aims to construct the subject from what a tourist sees/ looks forward to. For example people look forward to seeing "the big lights" of New York. With the sparkle effects, bold "screens" & whizzes of car lights, the lights are what this poster has focused on. Perfect seeing as the lights are the most visually appealing part of New York.
Klein proves that personal taste doesn't really matter when it comes to design. You have to understand how the audience views the world to truly create a piece that speaks to them & grabs their attention. Knowledge of the news is essential to truly hear what the public want & feel.
This movement was originally a school based in Germany. A strong sense of unity, symmetry & clarity is apparent within this phase. The artists of this movement wanted to unify the rules & dynamics into something that was clean, crisp & clear to the public. This is was done through minimalist art, furniture but what I feel is most important, typography. This was the birth of the most precise & well know typefaces, a further development in the communication through art.
Herbert Bayer's Bauhaus is a perfect example of the movement. As you can see this piece is construct of clean lines & flat colour however with it's precise measurements it creates a three dimensional effect which is the starting point of form. There is also the combination of collage which contrasts to the flat colour, showing that two methods of adding colour & tone can work together if the balance is just right. As you can see the three primary colours are also a main focus of this piece. The unity of these colours will lead onto many more different shades is what I feel is a strong message within this piece as there is an arrow pointing towards the collage. A indication that there are many layers beneath even the most basic of things.
The message that Bauhaus wanted to portray to the society of it's time is that even with the most simple of things you can create whatever you want, communicate what you want. All you need to do is find the correct balance no matter how many layers you use. It's all about one working with the other.
This art movement was founded in Russia 1917 by Kazimir Malevich. He led the young generation of architects, builders & engineers who believed that art shouldn't be "pretty pictures" but an image that is practible & applicable to societies needs. This is the further development of graphical imagery. Malevich was also a very influential painter of the Russian revolution.
This is the Reaper by Malevich. As you can see the shapes used within this pieces are very simple but bold, creating a "blocky" anatomy. However to soften the form of the Reaper he has painted a gradient effect which rounds the limbs of creating a futuristic look. The facial features cause a more abstract effect to this monochrome figure, the nose constructing with coloured lines sweeping down (one of which is orange which contrasts to the colourless figure to make it stand out). The background however, is the greatest contrast within this piece as it consists of a softened haze of orange flowers, rectangular they may be, they still appear delicate due to the figures harshness. I believe this is a great example of the constructivist's view of making the piece communicate rather than to appeal to the eye more.
Communication was an essential key to their movement. This was further proved by their strong use of typography throughout a lot of their pieces. This was the start of the connection between visual pieces & using them to communicate a very clear message to the audience that didn't mean anything deep in particular. Graphic Design has a purpose, something to tell the audience. Art could inform people as well as move them.
The name of the movement being a hint, the futurists were a group of young adults who rebelled against anything that was older than them! Museums, old architecture, fossils, anything that represented our past as a society disgusted them. Their movement involved sleek clean designs & a strong use of typography throughout, making the style very graphical. These designs were somewhat alien to the society of that time (during the war) which is what they wanted to achieve; to challenge the public into idealising a greater future for themselves. To forget the dreary days they are comfortably allowing themselves to drown in.
But who led this army of those artists who were far ahead of their time? Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, a renowned fascist. After being involved in a car crashed caused by his colleagues adventurous driving, he was inspired to write & publish the Futurist manifesto on the 29th February 1909. His views in favour of philosophy, technoligical advancement & anarchy, he was happy in the thought of war. The desire of a great change in the political state was greater than his care for the many lives lost during those dark, cold times.
This is a piece called Study For Street Light by Giacoma Balla. This is a painting of what appears to be a light bulb constructed with many flecks of light. In the top right corner you can see a dimmed crescent moon which is the contrast of natural light to artificial. I believe that Balla is stating that artificial light will always out stand the natural as the intelligence behind such technology is impressive & that it is far more useful. Balla was very involved in futurism. He was a large believer in technology to the point that he involved his family, naming his daughters Propeller & Light.
Overall I believe that there was a strong sense of frustration among these artists as they portrayed a strong sense of disbelief in the societies values & their lack of being able to move on to a better place.
In this blog I shall be displaying my findings & opinions of manifestos throughout the ages. Through research and the use of imagery that reflects the movement, I shall show my understanding of this subject. This will broaden my mind as both an illustrator & designer, allowing me to appreciate the necessity of controversy throughout the evolution of design.
Manifesto
First of all what is the definition of manifesto? It is the action of announcing one's intentions which tends to be in a political manner. But how does this effect art? Well you will be able to see how the artists intentions are portrayed withing their art style whether it be rebellious, mind boggling or just plain cold & ordinary!
