AH225 Study Guide: Multiple Choice Key Facts

A collection of vocabulary flashcards based on key terms and definitions from the AH225 study guide, covering topics in Art Deco, Swiss design, and Postmodernism.

Abstraction

Core Art Deco design element derived from Cubism/Purism, focusing on shapes, colors, and forms divorced from realism.

Colonialism

Context where Art Deco posters were used as propaganda to justify European empires.

Machine Aesthetic

Aesthetic celebration of industrial efficiency and machine-made products, characterized by sleek surfaces and sharp geometry.

Orthogonal elements

Lines and forms that are at right angles, fundamental to the geometric precision of Art Deco and Purism.

Streamlining

Key Art Deco stylistic feature suggesting speed and modernity through sweeping curves.

Stylization

The technique of simplifying complex forms, typically by reducing them to geometric elements.

Akzidenz Grotesk

Early Swiss Style typeface known for its neutrality and lack of rigid geometry.

Asymmetrical

Core principle in design where layouts are dynamic and unbalanced using the grid for organization.

Corporate Identity

The process of establishing a unified, consistent visual theme for a company across all media.

Helvetica

Global icon of the International Style, popularized for its legibility and Swiss quality.

Modular grid

The underlying rational structure inherited from Constructivism that organizes all visual elements.

Negative space

White space treated as an active compositional element, essential for achieving clarity and balance.

Objective

The design ideal in the International Style where the designer minimizes personal expression.

Photomontage

Technique of combining fragmented photographs, used by Swiss designers for commercial realism.

Sans serif

Typeface lacking serifs, preferred for its functional clarity and objectivity.

Swiss Typographic Style

Post-WWII movement that turned political Constructivism into a neutral, commercial aesthetic.

April Greiman

Digital pioneer known for creating hybrid imagery and a digital aesthetic.

Atelier Populaire

Anonymous silkscreen collective that produced political protest posters during the May 1968 protests.

Black Panther Party

Revolutionary political group whose visual identity was shaped by confrontational woodcut-like illustrations.

Corita Kent

Artist who blended found advertising text with social commentary in her Pop Art-inspired prints.

Zine

Small-circulation, self-published magazines that rejected the polished mainstream aesthetic.