New-wave Typography
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The Memphis Group
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| http://www.deconet.com/blog/home/entry/post_modernism_at_utopia_oslo |
San Francisco School
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Retro and Vernacular Design
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http://www.frenchpaper.com/csa_and_french.asp
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
New-wave typography, the Memphis and San Francisco schools and retro and vernacular design
Discuss the following three directions of
postmodern graphic design: new-wave typography, the Memphis and San Francisco
schools, and retro and vernacular design. Describe characteristic elements of
each and offer examples of work by specific designers.
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After a while of following design rules in the modernism movement, post-modern designers rebelled and created their own take on design. They disregarded the clean, ordered design sensibility of modern designers and took a more subjective approach. New-wave typography, the Memphis and San-Francisco Schools, and retro and vernacular design reflect this design philosophy.
ReplyDeleteNew-wave typography designers opposed modernism’s formality and reinvented type through experimentation and letting go of design rules. Wolfgang Weingart taught his students at the Basel School to question “absolute order and cleanliness” in type (1). In his “19th Didacta/Eurodidac” poster, the many elements are placed intuitively on the page. There seems to be no underlying grid or ratio.
The Memphis and San-Francisco Schools started a design movement is described as “pluralistic, eclectic, and hedonistic” (1). Designers explored all of the tools available to them, including texture, pattern, color, geometry and surface; function was not a big concern. Christoph Radl, head of the Memphis graphic design department, designed display typefaces for Memphis that would be too decorative and flashy for modernist designers. It is not extremely functional, but that’s something that Radl wasn’t worried about.
Finally, retro and vernacular design stressed vernacular design centered on a certain place or historical period. They drew inspiration from other eras and even early European modernism. Paula Scher designed a poster for a film called “The Diva is Dismissed” that reinvents a famous constructivist poster originally designed by Rodchenko (4). This poster does have more concern for function and objectivity than the posters for the Memphis/San-Francisco School and new-wave typography, but it is playful and experimental in a way.
(1) Megg’s History of Graphic Design
(2) http://www.aiga.org/uploadedImages/AIGA/Content/Inspiration/aiga_medalist/Weingart_02_640.jpg
(3) http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz0i84Tg0V1qagr0ao1_1280.jpg
(4) http://josharnoldjones1988.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/paula-scher/#jp-carousel-106
I like the way Paula Scher uses past pieces as inspiration. She is able to stay close to their design without plagiarizing or copying - I think it helps the viewer connect the piece to a time period and gives it a valuable aesthetic in that way.
DeleteKatie, i like your new-wave typography example. I like how the yellow orange lines work with the grey background. Of course I have no idea what "DIDACTA EURODIDAC" line could mean on the poster, but still, it works for me! ;)
DeleteNew-wave typography was brought on my Wolfgang Weingart in the mid sixties and early seventies. He rejected the right angle as a exclusive organizing principle and drew onbroad technical knowledge and a willingness to explore the untried. In new-wave typography, lead type and letterpress systems were utilized and formal elements like premises, rules and surface appearances were questioned. To emphasize important words in a headline they were often made white on a chunky black rectangle. Wide letter-spacing, discarded in the fetish for tight type in the revolution from metal to photographic typographic systems were explored. Later on in the movement collage was explored as a medium for visual communication. Weingart was the most prominent designer from his movement. Examples of his work can be found: www.deconstructed.org.uk ; kingygraphicdesignhistory.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThe Italia design group Memphis became a predominant design style during the 1980s. In their architects and products designs They embraced the fantastic form and bright color palette. The function became less important. Christoph Radl was an important designer from this period. His work can be found at: flickriver.com
In the early 1980s, The design community and art schools in San Francisco emerged rapidly. With important contributions of graphic designers Michael Vanderbyl, Michael Manwaring, and Michael Cronin the city gained a reputation as a center of creative design. Those designers explored the harmony and composition of graphic possibilities. They conveyed a sunny and optimistic attitude in their work. The symbolic and intuitive form became a part of the arrangements. Work by Vanderbyl, Manwaring and Cronin can all be found at: http://modernposterart.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-memphis-and-san-francisco-schools.html
Retro design was based on an uninhibited eclectic interest in modernist European design from the first half of the century, a flagrant disregard for the rules of proper typography and a fascination withe eccentric and mannered typefaces designed and widely used during the 1920’s and 30’s. Vernacular design is closely related to retro design and refers to artistic and technical expression broadly characteristic of a locale or historical period. It is the paraphrasing of earlier commonplace graphic forms such as baseball cards, matchbook covers and unskilled commercial illustrations and printing from past decades. Paula Scher was a well known retro designer and her work can be found at: declanjring.wordpress.com . A well known designer from the vernacular period was Neville Brody whose work can be found at: aaronsgraphicblog.blogspot.com .
Sources: Megg's History of Graphic Design
Around the 1970s, practitioners and teachers with knowledge of the International Typographic Style sought to reinvent typographic design. These new directions were inspired by the experimental work and teachings of Wolfgang Weingart. They became known as new-wave typography. Weingart came from Germany to Basel, Switzerland, and studied typography with Emil Ruder at the Basel School of Design. He later joined Armin Hofmann on the faculty of the Basel School. He worked with lead and wood type on the letterpress, which had defined the horizontal and vertical constraints of typography since the era of Gutenberg. Within this context, Weingart began to challenge the objectivity, absolute order, and precision of the International Typographic Style, as well as the time- honored traditions of letterpress typography and the more recent traditions of photographic typography. He questioned everything and broke all the rules which is what made his work so strong.
ReplyDeleteMemphis was the Italian design group led by Italian architectural and product designer Ettore Sottsass. Sottsass was responsible for influencing the postmodern movement of the late 1970s into the 1980s. The name reflects the inspiration of both contemporary popular culture and the artifacts and ornaments of ancient cultures. Its main purpose was form in its design, and became the reason for the design to exist.
example:
http://pinterest.com/iellelaflamme/ettore-sottsass/
The San Francisco School was known for the exploration of the harmony and composition of graphic possibilities while showing optimistic attitude throughout their work. Michael Cronin a San Francisco designer who often built his compositions with shapes that become symbolic vessels or containers for color. His Beethoven Festival poster designed with Shannon Terry, uses the repetition of diagonal and curved forms to bring order and harmony to the composition.
example:
http://users.design.ucla.edu/~cariesta/designhistory/eighty/eighty/Beethoven.jpg
Retro design meaning from retrograde, or backward looking; a movement based on historical revival that first emerged in New York in the 1980s and then spread quickly throughout the world. There was a complete disregard for the rules of typography and a focus began to be placed on odd and strange typefaces that were commonly used throughout this time period. Paula Scher was an outspoken designer with an ironic sense of humor. She worked as a designer for CBS Records during the 70s. Later in her career she was forced to develop typographic solutions based on imagination, art and design history sources (art deco), and her fascination with obscure and little-used typefaces.
example:
http://www.aiga.org/medalist-paulascher/
Vernacular design was the focus of artistic and technical expression broadly characteristic of a locale or historical period. Neville Brody was known for taking a painterly approach to the graphic arts, he has designed album covers for rock music and art directed English magazines, including "The Face" and "Arena."
example:
http://www.csun.edu/~pjd77408/DrD/Art461/LecturesAll/Lectures/PublicationDesign/DigitalTimes/Digital-Publication.html
Source: Megg's History of Graphic Design
I really like Brody's approach to The Face magazines - each one feels completely distinct, yet he manages to retain enough consistency in voice to show viewers that they are part of the same family.
DeleteI like Ettore Sottsass's style and how in doesn't just do designer's for print but branches out to design actual physical things such as furniture that in some way effects people's living experience.
DeleteFirst introduced by Wolfgang Weingart, new wave is an approach of graphic design that defines itself by defying strict gridline arrangements and conventions. New wave is mad up of inconsistent letter spacing, varying type weights within a single word, and type faces with unusual angles(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Wave_(design)).
ReplyDeleteThe Italia design group Memphis became a predominant style during the 1980's Memphis College of Art provides a rigorous curriculum in an intimate, diverse community. MCA is fully accredited with expert, nationally renowned faculty and grants BFA, MFA, MA in Art Education and MA in Teaching degrees with graduates excelling in various careers across the country and internationally. It extends its programs to the public through gallery exhibitions, continuing education, children's classes, and visiting artist lectures(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_College_of_Art).
http://www.behance.net/gallery/New-Wave-Typography-A-tribute-to-Wolfgang-Weingart/4451169
http://modernposterart.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-memphis-and-san-francisco-schools.html
https://www.inkling.com/read/history-of-graphic-design-philip-meggs-5th/chapter-22/ch22-slideshow-2
I really like the examples you gave for Weingart's, new wave approach. Each design is defining itself, like you said it's defied by strict gridline arrangements and conventions. Each letter is made up of inconsistent spacing. Each design is interesting and makes you want to read and understand what is going on.
DeleteAround 40 years after a new approach to typographic design was found, an opposition to the cool formalism of the modernist tradition emerged first in Switzerland and then spread around the world. This new approach was introduced by Wolfgang Weingart, who had already completed a three year apprenticeship in typography and studied art. He arrived in Basel from southeastern Germany to study with Emil Ruder. In 1968 Weingart joined Armin Hofmann on the faculty of the Basel school. As a faculty member, he taught type differently than his mentors. He began to question the typography of absolute order and cleanness. He wondered if the international style had become so refined and prevalent throughout the world that it had reached an anemic phase. Weingart achieved a joyous and intuitive design with a richness of visual effects. By the mid-1970s he set off in a new direction, turning his attention toward offset printing and film systems. He used the printer's camera to alter images and explored the unique properties of the film image. He began to move away from purely typographic design and embraced collage as a medium for visual communication. (1)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=6289
As the 1970s ended and the 1980s began a new movement in postmodern design swept into international prominence. This work was pluralistic, eclectic, and hedonistic. Designers were deeply captivated by texture, pattern, surface, color, and a playful geometry. An important inspiration for all areas of design emerged in 1981, when global attention was concentrated on an exhibition of the Italian design group Memphis, led by eminent Italian architectural and product designer Ettore Sottsass. The name Memphis was chosen to reflect the inspiration they drew from both contemporary popular culture and the artifacts and ornaments of ancient cultures. The group embraced exaggerated geometric forms in bright colors, bold geometric and organic patterns, often printed on plastic laminates, and allusions to earlier cultures. (2)
http://www.design-technology.org/ettoresottsass.htm
The flowering of the psychedelic poster in the late 1960s, helped prove to Bay Area graphic designers that tremendous potential existed for innovative form and color. Michael Cronin was one graphic designer that figured prominently in the evolution of the medium. A range of graphic possibilities was explored, a cheerful optimism, a warm sense of humor, and an unbridled attitude about form and space. (3)
http://cronan.com/recent_work2.html
During the 1980s, a movement based on historical revival first emerged in New York and spread rapidly throughout the world. Retro was the name given by some designers, based on an uninhibited eclectic interest in modernist European design from the first half of the century. It was a flagrant disregard for the rules of proper typoggraphy, and a fascination with eccentric and mannered typefaces designed and widely used during the 1920s and 1930s. The prefix retro suggests the term retrograde, implying "backward looking" and "contrary to the usual." Retro has an interest in historical revivals, yet it paraphrases modern design from the decades between the wars rather that the Greco-Roman and Renaissance motifs. Paula Scher was one of the designers that took upon using the retro approach. (4)
http://www.aiga.org/medalist-paulascher/
Vernacular design was another movement referring to artistic and technical expression broadly characteristic of a locale or historical period, closely relating to retro design. Vernacular design is the paraphrasing of earlier commonplace graphic forms. In London, one of the more original visions of the 1980s emerged as Neville Brody designed graphics and album covers for rock music and art-directed English magazines. (5)
http://www.researchstudios.com/neville-brody/
Megg's History of Graphic Design Page 465-479
I find it weird when professors teach only in a certain style, like Weingart encouraging his students to leave behind the rules. In a way, this sparks creativity but they do also need to learn the rules before they can break it.
DeleteI really like the examples you gave for the Vernacular design. They all look loud and somewhat chaotic but when you look closely you can see signs of structure and the rules underneath all of the noise the designs create.
DeleteNew-wave typography, beginning with Wolfgang Weingart, questions the clean, orderly international type style. Weingart's work is energetic and intense. He rejects mathematically-organized design in favor of a breadth of technical experimentation and a variety of visual effects, including offset printing and film systems that allowed him to achieve interesting layering and juxtaposition of type, texture, and image. (1) He experimented with letterspacing and other typographic techniques that had been falling out of use. Dan Friedman taught and used unconventional, spontaneous, and expressive type. (2) April Greiman's work is tactile and has a sense of depth. (3) The work of Willi Kunz shares this New-wave style of energy and unorthodox spacing, punctuation and elements. (4)
ReplyDeleteThe Memphis and San Francisco schools produced work that can be described as “pluralistic, eclectic, and hedonistic.” They explore texture, color, and playful geometry with even greater energy than New-wave typography. Michael Vanderbyl's work is vibrant but maintains the clarity of the ITS. (5) Both Michael Manwaring and Michael Cronin's work exhibit the strength of color characteristic of Bay area designs, even going so far as to embody ideas and become content. (6) Retro and vernacular design show a strong interest in design history, from European design from the first half of the century, to eccentric typefaces used in the 1920s and 1930s, to technical expression and earlier commonplace graphic forms from past decades. Paula’s Scher’s iconic style can be partially connected to the type and imagery of Russian Constructivism (7) while Joe Duffy and Charles S. Anderson were drawing inspiration from matchbook covers, newspaper ads, 19th-century woodcuts, postage stamps and official seals of an earlier time.
(1) http://www.aiga.org/uploadedImages/AIGA/Content/Inspiration/aiga_medalist/Weingart_02_640.jpg
(2) http://www.uartsgd.com/GD40/Friedman/FriedmanBeethover.jpg
(3) http://www.aiga.org/uploadedImages/AIGA/Content/Inspiration/aiga_medalist/MD_GreimanA_Vertigo_640.jpg
(4) http://library.rit.edu/gda/sites/library.rit.edu.gda/files/imagecache/gallery_full/DSC_2602.jpg
(5) http://www.cca.edu/sites/default/files/styles/701x525/public/images/2012/05/935_0.jpg?itok=td7FUJN8
(6) http://designarchives.aiga.org/assets/images/000/012/135/12135_lg.jpg
(7) http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RR0ClH8h3kg/TGGFF6qoXGI/AAAAAAAAHyE/JsXGr1METsg/s1600/paula+scher+poster+DaFunkBig.jpg
There's an obvious similarity in the works of both Weingart and Kunz—that somewhat randomness, breaking of the grid, and odd placement. I find this very difficult to do in design, and whenever I attempt to do it I end up hating it actually. I think they make it work entirely though. I like how Weingart's seems like a collage, and the mix of black and white photos, and added color is quite nice. And for Kunz—I don't know if the example is a group of cards of some sort—I think the small places of tension aren't problematic, like the circle and rhombus shapes almost touch, or how the rhombus in one isn't aligned with the other rules in the card. It works for me.
DeleteI get what you mean about it being hard to design in this way, Sam. Whenever I try, I end up hating it too. I do appreciate Weingart and Kunz work, but I think that if I designed what they did, I would still hate it (since you're your own worst critic).
DeleteNearly 40 years after the new approach to typographic design was introduced, in the 1960s young designers such as Wolfgang Weingart began to oppose the modernist tradition. Wolfgang Weingart was a young designer whom many considered the designer who spearheaded the move into new-wave typography. Weingart was a German designer who did an apprenticeship in typography for three years before going to the Basel School to study. There Weingart studied under his mentors, Emil Ruder and Armin Hofmann, until he eventually became part of the faculty. Although when teaching Weingart taught his students differently than his mentors, Weingart questioned the cleanness and absolute order of typography. He came to the thought maybe the intentional typographic style became too refined and prevalent throughout the world(1). So in turn he rejected the standard principle of the international style to create an innovative design with visual effects using his broad technical knowledge along with a robust yearning to explore (2).
ReplyDeleteIn regards to being the progenitor of New Wave Typography Weingart has stated,”I took ‘Swiss Typography’ as my starting point, but then I blew it apart, never forcing any style upon my students. I never intended to create a “style”. It just happened that the students picked up—and misinterpreted—a so called ‘Weingart style’ and spread it around.” (3) Here are some examples of his work that are the starting points for New-Wave Typography:
1)http://www.aiga.org/uploadedImages/AIGA/Content/Inspiration/aiga_medalist/Weingart_02_640.jpg
2) http://www.aiga.org/medalist-wolfgang-weingart/
Moving away from the 60’s and 70’s into the 80’s postmodern design began to make another metamorphosis thanks to the Memphis Group and the San Francisco Schools. The Memphis Group was a Italian design group created by product and architectural designer Ettore Sottsass. Heir style is known for their method of function being secondary to form, they embraced geometric shapes and organ forms along with vibrate and garnish colors and textures. They believed that form no longer followed function and that it becomes the reason for the design to exist (4). Their name Memphis was chosen to reflect the contemporary and ancient cultures they drew inspiration from. Here are examples of their work:
1) http://designmuseum.org/__entry/3927?style=design_image_popup
2) http://designmuseum.org/__entry/3928?style=design_image_popup
3) http://designmuseum.org/__entry/3932?style=design_image_popup
In San Francisco postmodern design had a quickly emerging style, with designers such as Michael Vanderbyl, Michael Manwaring and Michael Cronin being prominent figures in the evolution (5). The San Francisco style is characterized has being warm, cheerful using warm pastel colors with a layback attitude toward space and form. Here are some examples of designers work:
1) http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Fn1uoMBFw0s/RpM8wsGyPgI/AAAAAAAAETI/1H5ekzQvmX8/s640/94.sp_Michael%252520Vanderbyl.jpg
2) http://designarchives.aiga.org/assets/images/000/012/135/12135_lg.jpg
3) http://cronan.com/_img/large_design/Adaptec-1.jpg
During the 80’s however a appreciation for past designs came about through the rise of retro and vernacular design. A interest in earlier European design became prevalent. Here are some examples:
1) http://societeperrier.com/london/files/2011/09/Postmodernism.jpg
2) http://seminaldesign.com/HistoryofVC/Images/25.jpg
Sources:
1,2,4,5 Meggs’ History of Graphic Design
3 http://www.designhistory.org/PostModern_pages/NewWave.html
I really like the quote you put down for Weingart. It is great to have a starting point to help you start off designing, especially when like Weingart you don't intend on forcing a certain style on students, you just want to create something new and different. The example you gave for Weingart's New-Wave Typography really show his strict guidelines, grids, his letter spacing, and his bulky letters.
DeleteNew-wave typography advocates “complete freedom and richness, using different arrangements for type (1).” This allows for more allowance on leading, kerning, and treatment of space, weight, and orientation. Wolfgang Weingart was a main designer in this field, recognized for his typographic explorations and expressive approach to typography (2). His work (3) displays his approach of breaking the grid and following intuition, resulting in more intensity.
ReplyDeleteThe Memphis Group was founded in 1981 and consisted of Italian designers and architects (4). They created “bright, colorful, shocking pieces” in response to the dark and dull colors of European furniture, their main aim to reinvigorate the Radical Design movement and apply a more creative approach (4). Ettore Sottsass’ “Table Lamp” (5) is an example of appreciation for geometric forms and the rejection of dull, predictable design. The San Francisco school was a post-modern design movement that explored “shapes, palettes, intuitive spatial arrangements, and assigned symbolic roles to geometric elements (6).” Artist Michael Vanderbyl’s work (7) shows exploration of space and pattern and makes the viewer wonder what the hands and patterns symbolize.
Retro and vernacular design was based on historical revival with a focus on artistic and technical epression (6). Artists used inspiration from past genres to inspire their work. Paula Scher’s work for Swatch (8) has direct links to Herbert Matter’s Swiss tourism poster, but used as a spring board to create her design.
(1) http://ctous.blogspot.com/2009/04/post-modernism-and-new-wave-typography.html
(2) http://ctous.blogspot.com/2009/04/post-modernism-and-new-wave-typography.html
(3) http://www.aiga.org/uploadedImages/AIGA/Content/Inspiration/aiga_medalist/Weingart_03_640.jpg
(4) http://www.design-technology.org/memphis1.htm
(5) http://www.artnet.com/artwork/426220878/1073/ettore-sottsass-ashoka-table-lamp.html
(6) https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:SBqXjPbrbGgJ:www.historyofgraphicdesign.weareswift.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Week-3-Postmodern-Design.pdf+retro+and+vernacular+design&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShYSWFPDzN_qkjRLQXTOHgbSlniISVl4m3r8cy4efePuNb-J9ilrx7rfLUXtoOtHQozlqHGodpRZLs38TTeQdOilaC7A1nM8gt0fl5ALWTfiCElSepgURQ7ig4lUMY7tFZEpcep&sig=AHIEtbQuIHTRvIL12ZrkIbt7EC1wIYjbOg
(7) http://designarchives.aiga.org/assets/images/000/024/990/24990_lg.jpg
(8) http://www.aiga.org/uploadedImages/AIGA/Content/Inspiration/aiga_medalist/MD_ScherP_Swatch_640.jpg
That "freedom and richness" of the new wave typography is quite evident in the example you gave of Weingart's work. When first looking at it, one may see some evidence of a grid based on the type used, however, it's a little difficult to completely figure out—so one can see his obvious breaking of traditional norms here. I like his use of overlapping photography and color blocking.
DeleteThe lamp example from Ettore Sottsass is a good choice to express the idea of rejecting dull. predictable design. It not only uses uncommon materials but obviously by creating a physical/sculptural like piece it makes things much more interesting.
DeleteLooking at Paula Scher's work, it's fascinating to see such a perfect blend of historical references and her own voice. The wealth of references that she draws from culminates into an effective (and now extremely famous and characteristic) style. At my internship recently, when the creative director wanted me to create a tight and interesting type lockup, he told me to "Paula Scher" it.
DeleteAround the 1980s, opposition to the cool formalism of the modernist tradition emerged first in Switzerland and then spread around the world. The most important name associated with the New-Wave Typography is Wolfgang Weingart. Weingart began to question the typography of absolute order and cleanness, wondering if perhaps the international style had become so refined and prevalent throughout the world that it had reached an anemic phase. Drawing on broad technical knowledge and a willingness to explore the untried, he turned up the intensity of the page. He sought to breathe a new spirit into the typography of order and neatness by questioning the premises, rules, and surface appearances that were hardening the innovations of the Swiss masters into an academic style. To emphasize an important word in a headline, Weingart often made it white on a chunky, black rectangle. Wide letter spacing, discarded in the fetish for tight type in the revolution from metal to photographic typographic systems in the 1960s, was explored. Here is a great link to several works by Weingart.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=6289
In 1981, focus was on an Italian group called Memphis, led by product designer Ettore Sottsass. They drew inspiration from contemporary popular culture and artifacts/ornaments of ancient cultures. The Memphis sensibility embraced exaggerated geometric forms in bright colors, bold geometric and organic patterns, and allusions to earlier cultures. Form became the reason for the design to exist. Christoph Radl headed the Memphis graphic design section.
The design/art schools in San Francisco were strongly influenced by the international style, and in the 1980s San Francisco was earned a reputation as a major center for creative design. Michael Manwaring and Michael Cronin were prominent designers. Freely drawn gestures, pastel hues, and intuitive composition were often found in their work. Here’s a couple links to works by these artists.
http://designmuseum.org/design/ettore-sottsass
http://www.radl.it/Site/index.html
http://designarchives.aiga.org/#/entries/%2Bid%3A5930/_/detail/relevance/asc/0/7/5930/aiga-san-francisco/1
Retro design was a movement based on historical revival that first emerged in New York in the 1980s and then spread quickly throughout the world. It was based on an uninhibited eclectic interest in modernist European design from the first half of the century, a flagrant disregard for the rules of proper typography, and a fascination with eccentric and mannered typefaces designed and widely used during the 20s and 30s.
Vernacular design was an artistic and technical expression broadly characteristic of a locale or historical period, and it closely relates to retro design. It is the paraphrasing of earlier commonplace graphic forms, such as baseball cards, matchbook covers, and unskilled commercial illustrations and printing from past decades. Some designers associated with this style are Paula Scher, Louise Fili, and Carin Goldberg. Here are some websites showing numerous works by these artists.
http://www.aiga.org/medalist-paulascher/
http://www.louisefili.com/
http://www.caringoldberg.com/
https://www.inkling.com/read/history-of-graphic-design-philip-meggs-5th/chapter-22/new-wave-typography
Megg’s History of Graphic Design
The ‘New Wave Typography’ promoted a more intuitive approach to layout, experimenting with image placement and typography that went way beyond the grid. he ‘New Wave’ used inconsistent and often wide letter spacing, varying type weights within single words and type set at unusual angles. It questioned our concepts of how type should appear on the page (1). One of the pioneers of the movement was April Grieman. In her work she experimented with ways to alter the two-dimensional space, making it more three dimensional and even tried to depict aspects of space and time (1). She is also known as one of the first designers to utilize the computer as a design tool. This 1995 US postage stamp is an example of the work she did: (2).
ReplyDeleteThe direction of the San Francisco and Memphis schools was brought forth following the psychedelic posters in the late 1960’s. Designers believed that there was potential in innovative form and color. The work of the schools can be described as “pluralistic, eclectic, and hedonistic”. Designers focused primarily on texture, pattern, surface, color, and playful imagery (3). Here is a poster created by William Longhauser (4), reflecting the design elements of post modern architect, Michael Graves. The elements of the poster design include Memphis-type sharp edges and color contrast.
Retro and vernacular design first emerged on the scene in New York in the 1980’s. These movements were artistic and technical expression broadly characteristic of a locale or historical period. The movement began with Paula Scher’s 1979 poster for CBS records (5). The poster was inspired by Russian Constructivist and nineteenth-century wood type posters (6).
(1)http://kingydesignhistory2012.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/post-4-typography-april-greiman/
(2)http://observatory.designobserver.com/media/slideshows/AIGA-Stamps_29.jpg
(3)http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=the+memphis+and+san+fransisco+schools&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
(4) http://media-1.web.britannica.com/eb-media/94/72294-004-1B7DCECB.jpg
(5)http://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/343/flashcards/1536343/png/screen_shot_2012-05-07_at_101401_pm1336455934819.png
(6) http://www.historyofgraphicdesign.weareswift.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Week-3-Postmodern-Design.pdf
The dimensionality of April Grieman's work makes it not only beautiful, but also modern and contemporarily relevant. As design students today, I find we are often taught to strive past "graphic" and flat and into something more interesting with texture and depth. It seems especially challenging, especially as a designer using the computer as a design tool, to maintain the sense of artistic materiality– if you will, a "painterly" quality applied to the logic of design.
DeleteNew-Wave typography-
ReplyDeleteYears after Jan Tschichold and other typographic designers employed new approaches to typographic design, opposition to the cool formalism of the modernist tradition first emerged in Switzerland and then spread around the world. In 1964 Wolfgang Weingart came from Germany to Basel, Switzerland where he studied typography with Emil Ruder at the Bassel School of Design and in 1968 he joined Armin Hofmann on the faculty of the school. For a few years Weingart worked with lead and wood type on the letterpress, which had defined the horizontal and vertical constraints of typography since the era of Gutenberg. Within this context, Weingart began to challenge the objectivity, absolute order, and precision of the International Typographic Style, as well as the time-honored traditions of the photographic typography. He experimented with printing curves by bending straight metal rules and using magnets to position the element on the press bed; he exaggerated letter spacing contrast to the tight letter spacing made popular by photo typesetting to create typographic texture; he invented new typographic forms by combining characters in unexpected whimsical ways, or letters simply became abstract forms. In the 1970’s he turned his attention away from pure typographic design and instead began experimenting with collage as a medium for visual communications and a method of combining image and typography. http://chaddy808.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/wolfgang-weingart.jpg
The Memphis and San Francisco Schools-
As the 1970’s and 1980’s began, a new movement in postmodernism emerged. The movement was characterized by playful geometry; the use of surface pattern, texture, and color; and references to earlier cultures. Graphic designer William Longhauser sums up Graves’s postmodern motifs in his 1983 poster for a Michael Graces exhibition. The letters, which spell G-R-A-V-E-S, are transformed into geometric forms decorated with pattern and texture that evoke a postmodern architectural landscape. In the early 1980’s in San Francisco, Michael Vanderbyl, Michael Manwaring, and Michael Cronin forged a postmodern design movement that positioned San Francisco as a creative center of design. Although the San Francisco designers share gestures, shapes, palettes, intuitive spatial arrangements, and assign symbolic roles to geometric elements, personal attitudes are evident in their work.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hQ5y6ESoIm0/TON0gp7-wTI/AAAAAAAAACc/DHquRjUQPnM/s1600/maxbillj.jpg
Retro and Vernacular Design-
This was a movement based on historical revival, particularly a revival of modernist European design from the first half of the twentieth century. NY retro began with Paula Scher, Louise Fili, and Carin Goldberg. Scher’s 1979 poster for CBS Records was inspired by Russian constructivist and 19th century wood type posters. Vernacular design and artistic and technical expression broadly characteristic of a particular locale or historical period, goes hand in hand with retro. Book-jacket designer Louise Fili finds inspiration in the vernacular graphics of France and Italy, which she collects during summer vacations in Europe. Eccentric letterforms on signs and vernacular graphics with long-lost typefaces discovered in flea markets and used-book stalls inform her highly personal and intuitive approach. Goldberg, who worked as an assistant to Lou Dorfsman at CBS in the 1970’s and later under Paula Scher at CBS Records, acknowledges A.M. Cassandre as an influence on her work as well as the Vienna Workshops. The influence of the latter on the 1987 book cover for Reiner Maria Rilke’s The Sonnets of Orpheus is evident in the vine motif and sans serif lettering, which is confined in outlined rectangles.
http://www.designishistory.com/1980/paula-scher/
Works Cited:
Megg's History of Graphic Design
Despite the fact was opposed by newer designers of the 60'-80's I personally like the older designers such Jan Tschichold were structure and grid you is evident.
DeleteMy favorite is the Memphis group out of these styles! I love how Ettore Sottsass was not taking forms seriously and was playing around with them. Like a kid with legos! Lol http://www.curatedassortment.com/2010/04/ettore-sottsass.html
DeleteThe new wave of typography refers to an approach to typography which actively against strict grid based arrangement conventions. Characteristics include inconsistent letter-spacing, varying typeweights within single words and type set at unusual angles. The main pioneer in this movement is Wolfgang Weingart who was from Southern Germany. When he started to teach in the Basel School in 1968 he already completed three-years apprenticeship in typography and had studied art. He taught typography differently than the other faculty members like Emil Ruder and Armin Hoffmann. He questioned the typography of absolute order and cleanness. Weingart worked with lead type and letterpress systems. In his teaching and personal projects he sought to breathe a new spirit into the typography of order and neatness by questioning the premises, rules and surface appearances that were hardening the innovation of the Swiss masters into academic style.
ReplyDeletehttp://m-typography.blogspot.com/2011/02/wolfgang-weingart.html
Ettore Sottsass, Italian architectural and product designer led the new movement in postmodern design that called the Memphis. The Memphis chose the name to reflect the inspiration they drew from both contemporary popular culture and the artifacts and ornaments of ancient cultures. Function became secondary. It was all about the pattern, texture, bright colors, fantastic forms and exaggerated geometrics. These became the reason for the design to exist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Memphis-Milano_Movement.jpg
In the early 1980s, San Francisco postmodern design emerged thanked to Michael Manwaring, Michael Cronin and Michael Vanderby. These three played a very important role in San Francisco’s creative design. Their style conveyed cheerful optimism, a warm sense of humor and an unbridled attitude about form and space. Freely drawn gestures, a sunny palette of pastel hues, and intuitive composition are often found in their work. Grays were often used with tints of lavender, turquoise and peach. http://designarchives.aiga.org/assets/images/000/012/135/12135_lg.jpg
During the 1980s graphic designers gained a growing understanding and appreciation of their history. The Retro and Vernacular design movement based on historical revival first emerged in New York and spread rapidly throughout the world. Paula Scher, Louise Fili and Carin Goldberg were the New York center of the movement. They rediscovered earlier twentieth-century graphics and were using their work according to their style in original ways.
http://kak.ru/eng/magazine/?number=18&article=14
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you ..... very useful information for us ...... keep it up thanks for this..........
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