MODERNISM!
Things are getting good! We are well into the 20th century now, and the designers and their work continue to evolve in brilliant ways. Please read & respond to the following articles in the comments section below.
(Your comment counts for attendance/participation for today’s class)
Jan Tschichold – Linotype Feature
Go read this fantastic biography of Tschichold. Be sure to click on the links at the bottom of the article “more… start student” etc.
Paul Renner – Linotype Feature
Now, go read this feature on Paul Renner, designer of Futura. This typeface is second only to the legendary Helvetica in terms of ubiquity.
Finally, we cross the Atlantic and begin Modernism In America.
Check out Lester Beall (also here), Herbert Matter, and Joseph Binder.
14 Comments
I must say that Tschichold was an amazing typeface designer. Plus, if you can accomplish all of this and become known during your teenage years then you have it made. Even going back to school, and maybe even teaching it, helped him. That is something that he did with his modern, but gothic, looking typefaces. With Paul Renner, of which I have heard of before, was the painter, graphic artist, type designer, and teacher. On top of that he studied architecture which shows his ability to design solid things. I have seen, and used, his typeface Futura and I like it. The only different I see from Helvetica is that it is a little thinner in the strokes.
Now, I am crossing the Atlantic and looking at the Modernism that came to America. There is a style change from what is not in America when it comes to the styles of Modernism. The use of lines on paintings like the personal works of Lester Beall would be what I am talking about. Herbert Matters work has the geometric shape to it because I see a lot of straight lines in his work…very few curved lines. Joseph Binder has the style of that from the post modernism and art nouveau times but it has the American feel to it. His work is something I would see only here and no where else in the world.
When you read about how Jan Tschichold originally wanted to be a painter, it makes you wonder if he had the talent and ability to give excellence like he did with his typefaces, what kind of artist would we know him as today. As for Paul Renner, I love Futura, definitely one of the favorites, just like Denny said…Helvetica is probably at the top, but Futura is one of those bold typefaces that you can pretty much use for anything, that’s what I love about those true sleek sans serifs.
I started to think about the difference in the terms they used in the video on Herbert Matter’s website. Why do we call ourselves designers and why are painters or photographers called artist? Is it the content by which they produce, is it the purpose for which the product is made, or is it even a choice? Is not a graphic designers work considered an art, and is there a form or style used to create paintings? I would consider myself a designer, by way of personal preference, but then again I am a graphic designer. I have always closely related the word artist to a more generalized population. Musicians, singers, actors, athletes, painters, sculptors, photographers and hey, even the paparazzi consider themselves artists. These are simply my personal thoughts about it, maybe this meant something, maybe it didn’t, but I’ve always found it interesting.
Jan Tschichold is strikingly versatile. It seems that he has a bigger range of ability or output than some of the other typographers we’ve studied. He can do calligraphic designs, bauhaus rectangles, illustration, and photography very well. At least when he is not running from Nazis. Paul Renner is the the Futura guy, also Plak, Steile Futura BQ, and Renner, which about all one could get out of that article. Lester Beall, Herbert Matter, and Joseph Binder’s works are all unique and interesting. I look foreword to learning more about them as well.
I agree with most of what has already been said. Tschichold makes me feel like such an underachiever- he was teaching his peers by the time he was 22..so inevitably I think ‘what have I done?!’ My favorite designer (I almost said ‘artist’ but I didn’t want to upset Cody, lol) is Lester Beall. I love his use of color and his work, to my woefully untrained eye, looks the most modern. I thought so much of his work was completed in the early sixties then I looked at the dates and really it was the late thirties.
Jan Tschichold strikes me as being extreme because of his exclusive use of sans serif typefaces. Yes his work is fantastic, but is it really necessary to abandon all things serif? I guess he was just determined to develop a certain style. I think his type-centric posters are very well designed. Even without imagery he uses letters to create interesting shapes and forms. I like Lester BeaIl’s work and I found the term typographic surrealist, to describe his work, appropriate. And it is nice to be getting some creative American designers on the way. I am very interested in what is coming ahead of class because I was not aware of many of these designers.
The thing that I found to be the most interesting about Jan Tschichold was the fact that he was first taught in a more traditional style of typography with serifs then, thanks to the Bauhaus, he changed to a Sans Serif style. Then after years he went back to Serif styles. I like the fact that the article talked about a designer who changed back and forth with his style.
Now the article about Paul Renner was an article that I wish was longer because Paul Renner designed my favorite typeface Furtura. I really hope that we get to learn more about him and his typefaces because Furtura is my favorite. Now the works of Lester Beall and Herbert MatterI found to be very interesting. I’m just glad we have finally gotten into the design of the 20th century. Now I just have to wait for photography.
I can see how Tschichold work was influenced by the ”Bauhaus”. Looking at his post design for the Warsaw publisher Philobiblon, shows a modern design like the “Bauhaus” with placement of letters and shapes. My favorite designer would have to be Herbert Matter, I love his abstract modern designs of his posters. I like how he combines photography with simple shapes and colors.
These designers work on a multi scale not just one medium, maybe that’s why they create grate works. I don’t consider myself a painter, photographer or illustrator. I know that it takes time to find your own way in the “Art Industry”. Learning about these designers has inspired me to rethink how I create my own work and projects.
I enjoy Tschichold for the elegant formality of his work. I enjoy the article for its showing of this journey and metamorphasis of this studious man.
Renner adds a nice touch to his types with the fancy serifs and his flowing script-like legs of the K and R in one of his type faces are nice designs.
Lester Beall’s work is really nifty. His combinations of old-fashioned sketches and modern designs creats thought provoking designs. I really like his flying iceskater with the large flower and face design. In my opinion his design is sort of like saying that the subject is springingly happy and joyous to be an iceskater. His website is sopisticated an well put together.
(silly)
Joseph Binder is an interesting designer. His worlds fair of 1939 poster is interesting for its futuristic space age design and its city scape with the hint of the year 1939 in the lights.
Herbert Matter’s “photo montage combined with type” Swiss posters are sophistiated and sexy. The New Haven Railroad project looked like a huge experience and exercize for his work. Creating a choice logo after going thru *hundreds* of designs is really something, also something that many designers would probably get lost in.
Man, I wish I had more time to actually sit down and read and review all the different web-sites to learn more about each of these artists. Perhaps, a weekend project.
However, one artist that completely stood out to me was Herbert Matter! Herbert Matter is largely credited with expanding the use of photography as a design tool and bringing the semantics of fine art into the realm of applied arts. This is what I would like to accomplish with my degrees in school. This man could possibly become my new role-model. With his photography he was adept in documenting the early furniture of Charles and Ray Eames and creating covers for Vogue and Arts & Architecture as well as documenting his contemporaries Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning or Alberto Giacometti.
I think it’s interesting that most typeface designers had some form of background in others forms of art. To be able to develop something you definitely need to have creativity and there is no doubt that these influencial men had creativity in spades. The lead into Modernism design is amazing. I think Lester Beal’s belief that your evironment stimulates your ability to create is acurate whetther the experience is positive or negative. The things around us influence all aspects of our lives and I believe that is why many artist end up dabling with politics. When you think and create it is hard not to become involed in the legalities of life. Without these designers out world would not be what it is today and it’s always interesting to see how they came about.
more beall…
http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=409
I found these men to be a lot more interesting. I like that we are starting to move into the age of modern graphic desgin. While reading about Lester Beall I was look at some of his work and was really drawn to it. Maybe it is because in the Rural Electrification, it reminds me a lot of Barbara Kruger and my ridiculous fascination to her work. And through out his work, I noticed that he does work in aesthetic, but he really changes the work up and does not keep the same themes through out it all.
I agree that Jan Tschichold was an amazing designer and he accomplished so much before he was even out of his teens. Makes me wonder what have i been doing my whole life to not of accomplished anything as great as him. I don’t believe that his Cure For Typography might of worked for him but not everybody. I also believe that when he encountered the Bauhaus that was his turning point in his career and helped him become really famous. I would also like to read one of his books. I admire his dedication to his script studies and wish I had his drive. I also want to comment on Lester Beall because he is my favorite because he is a designer and a great speaker; many of things ways he said I strongly agree with. Like when he states that where a person lives effects the way they design, plus i also agree with him that I would love to live in the country but i most def. miss the city life and it’s craziness. This is my favorite saying by him that a designer “must work with one goal in mind—to integrate the elements in such a manner that they will combine to produce a result that will convey not merely a static commercial message, but an emotional reaction as well” I love him because he goes way beyond just designing something, he takes it into a whole different level and tries to put words to everything he does or at least have everything make some kind of sense to him. I have never experimented with photography but i would like to now after reading all these articles about people loving photography. That is my next task I am striving for.
Well everything is basically answered here. If I had to choose a favorite out of the artist/designers displayed in the read & respond. I would have to say Jan Tschichold. I love his design work that was influenced by The Bauhaus. I love the use of simplicity and the geometrical layouts that he designed in the books that he had done. My favorite was a catalogue he did in 1935 http://www.linotype.com/794-12595/refugeinswitzerland.html with his use perfectly aligned text and simple layout.