Austin Drouin

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Edward McKnight Kauffer

Gallery:

E. McKnight Kauffer "Civil Aeronautics Administration" (1943)

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• E. McKnight Kauffer “Civil Aeronautics Administration” (1943)
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• E. McKnight Kauffer “Flowers of the Riverside” (1920)
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• E. McKnight Kauffer “Stonehenge, See Britain First on Shell!” (1932)
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• E. McKnight Kauffer “Shop Between 10 and 4” (1921)
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• E. McKnight Kauffer “Reigate” (1915)
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• E. McKnight Kauffer “Now the Pine Tree’s Waving Top” (1932)
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• E. McKnight Kauffer “Museumo of Natural History” (1923)
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• E. McKnight Kauffer “Metropolis” (1926)
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• E. McKnight Kauffer “Oxhey Woods” (1915)
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• E. McKnight Kauffer “You Can be Sure of Shell” (1931)
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Part 1:

About the Works:

The works selected above are a selections of works created by E. McKnight Kauffer. A large majority of these are from his time spent in London working for either Shell or the Underground transport system, and just an example of the near 140 posters he’s known for. The range of color used is limited due to its age, however the designs were fairly progressive for their time; including large bold shapes, scattered text, and clear images. Also in this gallery is a few of Kauffer’s artworks which hold a clear almost impressionistic style, which was likely picked up by Kauffer during his time studying in Paris.

Part: 2

About the Designer:

Edward Kauffer is an American born artist. He born in 1890, Great Falls, Montana – however he lived most of his life in England and elsewhere overseas. At the age of 20 Kauffer began to study at the California school of design where he worked both for his studies and independently. In 1912 a professor from the University of Utah took notice of Kauffer’s work and offered to mentor and sponsor him, and spent money to send Kauffer to Paris to further his studies. He studied at the Académie Moderne in Paris for about a year, until he met a textile designer, Marion Dorn. They fell in loved and they decided to reside together in London. There he began to complete some of his most famous works of art. Kauffer was most well-known for his work for the underground transit in london, in which he made 140 posters. These designs were fairly broad as Kauffer dabbled in various styles such as futurism, cubism, vorticism, and impressions from Japanese woodcuts.

Later he returned to American with his wife, however due to the perplexing advancements European styles had over the American art, many saw his art as being too much. In other words, as put by Frank Zachary “America was not ready for him”. This shows how rapidly graphic design changes and alters its borders as the culture around it does. While Kauffer was highly successful and well known in England his work was considered to be too progressive for American culture.

Part 3:

Main Points:

• – Kauffer’s designs took much influence from European and British style arts
• – Though he was born in America, Kauffer’s designs were considered too progressive for American culture revealing a cultural tendency in graphic design.

Part 4:

Sources:

MoMa Collection of art

AIGA Award

London Transport Museum