Month: November 2022

Maren Brophy, Nov 25, 2022

Beginnings in Design 

Kiyoshi Awazu is a Japanese graphic designer born in 1929 and died in 2009. I was drawn to him as his use of traditional themes with modern design elements was inspiring to me. Awazu is said to be self-taught, and unlike most artists, he learned from practice and experience. His career launched in 1954 when he joined the advertising department for a film company known as Nikkatsu. His role in the company was small as he was only part-time and he was involved in just a few minor theatre design projects. In 1955, his poster “Give back our Sea” (海を返せ) became a sensation in the graphic design world. The poster represents the restrictions placed on fishermen due to military conflict and Awazu’s own experience growing up in post-World War 2 Japan. The award-winning poster was recognized by the Japan Advertising Artists Club and represented a turning point in Awazu’s career. 

Give our Sea Back (1955) Kiyoshi Awazu. https://www.nonaka-hill.com/artists/121-kiyoshi-awazu/works/567-kiyoshi-awazu-give-our-sea-back-1955/. This award-winning poster put Kiyoshi Awazu on the map as a designer. The poster is also an example of how Awazu incorporated social commentary into his designs which would become a staple of his work throughout his career.

His Design Work: Many Important Messages, Mediums, and Motifs 

Awazu was a versatile artist who worked in a wide variety of media such as editing, essay writing, photography, filmography, and graphic design. He incorporated his interest in film into his graphic design work by creating movie posters. Along with his involvement in the graphic design world, he also collaborated with architects and urban designers and aimed to address social issues in his work. In the post-war modernism era, design was becoming a vehicle for economic growth.  Awazu remained traditional in the sense that he wanted to create art with a deeper meaning. The rapid change at this time meant that folklore values were rapidly disappearing. One of Awazu’s goals was to resurrect these traditional art forms using ancient printing methods to represent modern symbolism. Awazu believed that a designer’s mission was “to extend the rural into the city, foreground the folklore, reawaken the past, summon back the outdated.” 

Most of his design work resembles elements of pop or psychedelic art, but what really makes his work stand out is his use of colour and symbols which create a unique visual aesthetic. What I adore about Awazu’s work is although it is classified as modernist, it is still incredibly complex and rich. 

The Japan Council Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (1957) Kiyoshi Awazu. This poster was done by Kiyoshi to speak up against atomic and hydrogen bombs. This piece shows his use of social messages in his designs along with post-World War 2 themes. https://pen-online.com/arts/kiyoshi-awazus-psychedelic-prints/?scrolled=2

An example of Awazu’s ability to take the traditional and represent it in a modern context is the “New Spirit in Japan” (1984) poster. On the left, there is a topographic pattern made up of traditional Japanese symbols. Through using modern, thin lines in the wave patterns on the right, vivid colours and bold shapes, Awazu brings a fresh perspective to traditional Japanese ideas. 

New Spirt in Japan (1984) Kiyoshi Awazu, https://visualmelt.com/Kiyoshi-Awazu. This piece is a great example of Awazu’s ability to use modern design elements (simplified shapes, bright colours) with traditional Japanese imagery as seen on the left.

His Impact on Design as We Know it Today

Awazu continued to create up until his death in 2009. His legacy in design continues many years after his death. Between developing graphic design culture in Japan, challenging the status quo of design at the time and advocating for art with social messages, Awazu’s ideologies continue to be inspiration for designers. Kiyoshi Awazu’s work is a reminder that traditions and change can co-exist, and by utilizing elements of both, we can create some truly impactful and important designs. 

Sources: 

https://www-oxfordartonline-com.ezproxy.capilanou.ca/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000005376#oao-9781884446054-e-7000005376

https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.capilanou.ca/doi/pdf/10.1080/17547075.2017.1315222

https://hyperallergic.com/466604/graphic-designer-awazu-kiyoshi-fantastical-world/

https://npo-plat.org/awazu-kiyoshi-en.html

https://sabukaru.online/articles/kiyoshi-awazu-reawaking-the-outdated

Maren Brophy, Nov 11, 2022

A Monumental Showcase

In 1851, Henry Cole and Prince Albert (husband to Queen Victoria), organized the famous Great Exhibition otherwise known as the Crystal Palace Exhibition, which came from the name of the palace in which it was held. The exhibition was monumental for many reasons. Most notably, it was the first of the World’s Fairs, a series of exhibitions that were popular around the 19th century and showcased technology and culture. A grand total of around 6 million visitors attended the event. As the Crystal Palace was part of the exhibition itself, visitors marvelled at the impressive glasswork and the scale. Throughout the exhibition, there were displays of cutting-edge technology including microscopes and electric telegraphs. The event was a tremendous success and made £186,000 (which is equivalent to tens of millions today). In addition to the financial success, the Great Exhibition helped bring other global and cultural influences to Britain and helped further the development of design, technology, and science. 

The Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Dedicated to the Royal Commissioners., London: Read & Co. Engravers & Printers, 1851.

The Wondrous Displays of the Exhibition 

The Exhibition showcased nearly everything one could imagine, from machinery to fine arts, to industrial design and textiles. There are many notable pieces from the exhibition, including a 27-foot-high fountain at the center of the building, a howdah displayed on a stuffed elephant, and the world’s largest known diamond. Exhibitions came from all over the world exposing the British to the art and technology from different cultures. For example, the Indian section of the exhibition introduced attendees to colourful and high-quality Indian textiles. 

A telescope at the exhibition. image is taken from: “The Half Hour Library of Travel, Nature and Science for young readers” Volume: 03 Page: 237, 1896

Scholarships for Science

While the exposure to other international technologies and advances diversified Britain’s design and technology industry, it also demonstrated how other cultures were upstaging the British in this area. Some of the British exhibits lacked in comparison to the aesthetic appeal that the French had, or the engineering that the Germans had. Prince Albert took action to change this and created a series of scholarships. The scholarships were realized in 1891 with the foundation of the Commission’s Science Scholarships. The goal of these scholarships was to help developing inventors and scientists further their research. These scholarships demonstrate how the Great Exhibition still influences our world today. The scholarships (now known as Research Fellowships), are still being awarded over a century later.

The Legacy

The Great Exhibition was incredibly influential for Britain’s culture and technology and was one of the defining points of the nineteenth century. From the profits made, education and culture were further spread throughout Britain. A new cultural quarter was established in South Kensington using the money from the event. This quarter is now home to the Victoria and Albert Museum, Science Museum, Royal Albert Hall and many others. The technology on display at the Great Exhibition influenced our world for years to come such as steam locomotives and the printing press. The Great Exhibition shows us the importance of funding and showcasing technology and design to develop and improve our society. 

Frieze detail in the internal courtyard. The frieze is a commemoration of the 1851 Great Exhibition. Here, Queen Victoria is shown in front of the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park and is surrounded by figures who represent the countries that were a part of the exhibition. Pres Panayotov/Shutterstock

References: 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2015/aug/28/how-the-great-exhibition-of-1851-still-influences-science-today

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Great-Exhibition-of-1851/

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/history-and-heritage/london-metropolitan-archives/collections/the-great-exhibition-of-1851

​​https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.capilanou.ca/stable/j.ctvnb7rvd