Introduction
Learning about the history of graphic design was very intriguing, as it demonstrates how art styles were invented and recreated. Looking back at history shows us the evolution of graphic design through its cultural influence, as well as the social, political, and technological circumstances in each period of time. History serves as both a primer for current practice and a living link of many traditions in graphic design. It’s important for us to understand the past in order to create new designs going forward, and maybe even borrow techniques invented in the past along the way.
Abstraction
One era of graphic design I enjoyed learning about was abstraction, which came into place at the turn of the twentieth century. Artists increasingly focused on the intrinsic qualities of their work, such as line, form, and color. Abstraction is defined as the process of distilling information down to basic elements or qualities. Henri van de Velde was a Belgium painter whose work illustrated the idea of abstraction, along with Art Nouveau and Modernism influences. I enjoy looking at the shared simplicity and complexity of abstract works, such as Henri’s ‘Tropon’, as its detail is very captivating.
Cubism
Another art style I enjoyed learning about was cubism, well-known as one of the most influential art movements of the twentieth century. Pablo Picasso’s paintings and sculpture is what led to the development of cubism. Fellow artist Georges Braque also greatly appreciated the distinct art form offered by cubism, and how it discarded all the techniques used in the past, from perspective to modeling. Cubism gives the freedom to interpret form and space in a new way, using distinguished shapes to create a different kind of picture, one that I find very unique.
Psychedelic
During the 1960s, hippies were demonstrating defiance against the clean, corporate, and modern aesthetic through the use of LSD. Psychedelic means mind-expanding, and hippies believed that LSD helped expand one’s creativity through the hallucinogenic effects of the drug. Milton Glaser is an artist who demonstrated this style and brought it into mainstream America, along with Victor Moscoso. I really like looking at this art style because it’s very eye-catching with its vibrant color schemes. I also appreciate the fonts used in psychedelic pieces, as it clearly demonstrates going against the typical Helvetica-corporate look.
Postmodernism
A final era in graphic design that I enjoyed was postmodernism, taking place after World War II. This type of design introduced the growing new technologies, such as the computer, and created the digital realm of design. One of these pioneers was April Greiman, who departed from the grid-oriented typical work and pointed to a new conceptual design using digital technology. Paula Scher was another artist who shaped postmodernism with her playful typography. I really like the postmodernism creations because it corporates previous designs from the past and reinvents them with new technologies.
Summary
In all, learning about graphic design history has taught me a lot about how culture and art go hand-in-hand in terms of influencing each other. The time period sets the stage and graphic design is used to interpret it and express how history shaped its styling. Reading through the history of design also illuminates how the evolution of graphic design developed, and I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the eras of design and picking out my favorite four.
