The Influence of Modern Art

History of Graphic Design

The Modern Art

  • Technology Driven by Innovation

The Influence of Modern Art

  • The character of life underwent significant social, political, cultural, and economic changes.

    • Transportation was revolutionized with the advent of:

    • The motorcar, introduced in 1885

    • The airplane, introduced in 1903

    • The motion picture, starting in 1896, and the emergence of wireless radio transmission in 1895 marked a new era in human communication.

    • Artists began to explore elemental ideas concerning:

    • Color and form

    • Social protest

    • The expression of Freudian theories and personal emotional states

Cubism

Definition

  • Cubism: A revolutionary approach to representing reality founded around 1907-08 by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque.

Influences on Cubism

  • African Sculpture and Design: The bold geometric forms of African masks and fabrics significantly inspired Picasso and his contemporaries.

  • Paul Cézanne (1839–1906): His observations that one should treat nature in terms of basic geometric shapes (cylinders, spheres, and cones) were essential to cubist development.

Characteristics of Cubism

  • Works from Picasso and Braque illustrate new methods of:

    • Handling spatial representation

    • Expressing human emotions

  • Figures are deconstructed into geometric planes, deviating from classical norms.

Analytical Cubism

  • Terms used: Analytical Cubism (1910-1912): This phase involved the analytical examination of subject matter, presented from multiple viewpoints.

    • Resulted in paintings composed of rhythmic geometric planes.

  • The relationship between cubism and human vision is profound, exploring how we perceive reality.

Collage in Cubism

  • In 1912, Picasso and Braque began incorporating collage elements:

    • Allowed for free composition, independent of traditional subject matter.

    • Established the painting as a two-dimensional object.

    • Introduced invented forms that served as signs rather than direct representations.

Synthetic Cubism

  • Juan Gris (1887–1927): Important figure in developing synthetic cubism.

    • Notable work: 1916's Fruit Bowl, blending natural composition with an independent design.

Influence of Fernand Léger

  • Fernand Léger (1881-1955): Advanced cubism beyond its founders.

    • His simplifications of form influenced modern graphics, particularly in French poster design during the 1920s.

    • Léger's work, characterized by flat color planes and urban motifs, contributed to a modern design sensibility post-World War I.

    • His innovative compositional approaches redefined painting and also impacted graphic design.

Futurism

Definition

  • Futurism (Italian: Futurismo): An artistic and social movement originating in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized:

    • Speed, technology, youth, and violence

    • Objects like the car and airplane, and the industrial city.

Origins of Futurism

  • Founded by poet Filippo Marinetti (1876–1944) through his publication, Manifesto of Futurism, in Le Figaro.

Characteristics of Futurism

  • Marinetti's poetry featured explosive emotion and defiance of traditional syntax and grammar.

  • Emphasized a typographic revolution, rejecting harmony as an antiquated design quality.

  • The term parole in libertà (words in freedom) exemplified new experiments in typography.

Expression of Noise and Speed

  • Futurist poetry articulated the chaotic experiences of modern life. Marinetti suggested that:

    • Experiences as intense as an explosion evade grammatic coherence, reflecting urgency through disordered expression.

Historical Context of Graphic Design

  • The futurists explored the concrete and expressive visual forms of writing.

    • Chairing discussions around visual poetry dated back to the Greek poet Simias of Rhodes.

    • Influenced by previous literary innovation from Arno Holz (1863–1929) and French poet Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918), who utilized innovative typography.

Contributions of Futurism

  • Fortunato Depero (1892–1960): Created significant works in poster design and advertising within the movement and emphasized dynamic design principles.

  • Futurism's radical techniques influenced other movements, inspiring Dadaism, Constructivism, and De Stijl.

  • Instigated typographic experimentation and manifestos that radically reevaluated graphic designers' approaches.

Dada

Definition

  • Dadaism: An early 20th-century European avant-garde art movement, with pivotal centers in Zurich and later in New York and Paris.

    • Self-described as anti-art, it featured strong negative and destructive tendencies.

    • Dadaists focused on shock, absurdity, and total freedom from tradition.

Evolution of Dada

  • Emerged as a spontaneous literary movement, influenced heavily by poet Hugo Ball.

  • Tristan Tzara (1896–1963) became a prominent leader and editor of the periodical DADA, introducing chaos into the movement.

Marc Duchamp's Involvement

  • Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968): Defined Dada's artistic front. His philosophy equated art and life as outcomes of chance, allowing for ready-made art pieces.

  • Created shock through interventions like defacing the Mona Lisa.

Spread and Impact of Dada

  • Dada proliferated from Zurich across Europe, critiquing sanity in society while still creating meaningful art.

  • Innovated photomontage: A technique to juxtapose photographs for provocative effect.

Contributions and Influence

  • Kurt Schwitters (1887–1948): Developed 'Merz', diverging from the political ideologies of other Dadaists, emphasizing non-political creativity.

  • Dada figures like John Heartfield, Wieland Herzfelde, and George Grosz used art for social commentary, contributing visual communications advocating for change and peace.

  • Dada's rejection of art traditions paved ways for future graphic expression, enriching the visual vocabulary introduced by Futurism.

Surrealism

Definition

  • Surrealism: A cultural movement initiated in 1917, characterized by visual artworks and writings exploring the realms of unconscious and dreams, influenced by Freudian theory.

Key Figures

  • Tristan Tzara, Louis Aragon (1897–1982), Paul Éluard (1895–1952), sparked a rebellious spirit within the movement.

Characteristics of Surrealist Art

  • Surrealists produced both intensely personal artwork and pieces that resonated with broader audiences through emotional depth and symbolism.

  • Giorgio de Chirico (1888–1978) identified as the first surrealist painter.

Techniques Used in Surrealism

  • Max Ernst (1891–1965): Employed decalcomania, which transferred images from printed sources into original artwork, creating unexpected visual compositions.

Contributions of Surrealist Artists

  • Artists like René Magritte (1898–1967) maintained dialogues across reality and illusion, blending truth with fantasy.

  • Emblematic surrealists utilized imagery to forge new visual languages through automatic drawing and calligraphy.

Influence on Graphic Design

  • Surrealism encouraged liberations in spirit and experimentation in design.

  • Explored expressions of intuition and imagination within visual contexts.

  • Unfortunately, post-surrealist ideas often became trivialized in mass media applications, diluting original intent.

Expressionism

Definition

  • Expressionism: A modernist movement originating in Germany in the early 20th century, defined by its subjective portrayal of the world, distorting visuals for emotional impact.

Expressionist Groups

  • Die Brücke (1905) and Der Blaue Reiter (1911): Preeminent expressionist groups advocating new artistic approaches and social commentary.

#