I am a designer for survey 7. My topic is Design and I am to do an infographic poster. I chose to focus on Plakatstil, exploring its advertisements and propaganda.
Works Cited
“3.” Graphic Design: a Concise History, by Richard Hollis, Thames & Hudson, 2016.
After the First World War, the world went through many changes. Not only politically, but there was an extreme development in typography and design. This period was, in fact, the birth of the term “graphic design”. Artists started looking at the arrangement of words and using the alphabet to create images. They began to stray away from arranging words in perfect horizontal lines across the page and laying out type according to a hierarchy. These typographic conventions were put in the past as artists stepped towards the future. For example, the Russian revolution propelled artists to see differently, as they had to make use of what they had since most of their tools were ruined. It caused them to become more imaginative and resourceful. This way of looking at typography and modern art was based on avant-garde and was revolutionary.
Russian Futurism
One of the first examples of breaking typographic conventions was in 1897. Mallarmé was a French poet that wrote a poem which consisted of twenty pages of breaking tradition. She saw the double pages as one, and the placements and white space like a sheet of music. The way they were placed influenced in what way it was read aloud.
Cover of Zang Tumb Tumb
The man who truly rejected original typographic concepts, however, was Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. He was the founder of Futurism in Italy. His first published book was called Zang Tumb Tumb. His goal in this book was to visually represent sounds by placing words and letters in different shapes and sizes on the page. This is when words became considered graphic design. Cubist collages and the chaos of Futurism was the main influence for this experimentation in typographic placement. Futurist typography soon influenced the innovations of constructivism and new typography.
Inner spread from Zang Tumb Tuuum
This style was not the easiest to achieve due to the compromises one had to make for the printing machines. The most used machines for typesetting were Linotype and Monotype. Linotype, however, only allowed for bold and italic letters to be the same width as roman. Both Linotype and Monotype couldn’t go over the size of 60 points and length of 60 picas, either. All these restrictions made it difficult to express typography with shape and spacing, however, they must have managed due to the impact of this typographic art form.
Works Cited
“Futurism and Italy.” Graphic Design: a Concise History, by Richard Hollis, Thames & Hudson, 2016.
“Marinetti, Filippo Tommaso (1876–1944).” The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Graphic Design and Designers, Alan Livingston, and Isabella Livingston, Thames & Hudson, 3rd edition, 2012. Credo Reference, https://ezproxy.capilanou.ca/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/thgraph/marinetti_filippo_tommaso_1876_1944/0?institutionId=6884. Accessed 08 Nov. 2019
White, Alex W. “European and American Typography in the 1920s.” Communication Arts, 28 June 2018, www.commarts.com/columns/european-and-american-typography-in-the-1920s.
Images Cited
Lissitzky, El. “All Is Well That Begins Well and Has Not Ended.” Russian Futurism, Wikimedia, 1920, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Futurism.
Art Nouveau made a huge impact on architecture in countries around the world. The architectural style of Catalan Modernisme, which is derived out of the Art Nouveau movement, had a spectacular impact on Spain.
This is the Sagrada Familia, which is an icon of Modernisme
This impact was most significant in Barcelona, Catalonia. Catalan Modernisme left the city with a cultural heritage that stood out from other architectural styles. This style was more of an extreme version of Art Nouveau due to the fact that Spain during this time felt culturally isolated. This allowed them to express themselves in a more exotic and independent way than the rest of Europe. In this period, Art Nouveau in other areas around Europe expressed the Zeitgeist.
After the Industrial Revolution and the technological advancements that came with it, Europe sought out a new way to live. Barcelona wanted a more modern society and for many reasons the city transformed, but it was from Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Antoni Gaudí and Josep Puig i Cadafalch that truly outlined Catalan Modernism architecture. The place in which their theories of modernism were put into practice was The World Exhibition of 1888. This is where these geniuses could live out their architectural fantasies and where it all started.
Catalan Modernisme used progressive science and technology and included the national romanticism of the Arts and Crafts movement. The style’s early pieces consisted of clear lines, as in the Castle of the three dragons.
The Castle of the Three Dragons shows the early style of Modernisme.
The Casa Batllo, by Antoni Gaudí shows the iconic style through its shapes, colours, and naturalistic elements.
It grew into using beautiful and organic shapes inspired by nature and forms that were exaggerated in such a way that look surreal, while still maintaining that nationalistic sentiment. The use of colour is also quite lovely.
In 1906, Modernisme was argued against a new style called Noucentisme, which was quite the opposite. 4 years later, Modernism got a reputation of being lavish and “bad taste” due to the patronage of the upper class and the behavior of the bourgeois. If I could speak on behalf of the other people in the world I think we would all agree that Modernism is a truly magnificent style. Today, millions of people visit these buildings just for that reason!
Works Cited
“Modernisme – Barcelona Formative Period of Art.” Barcelona.de , www.barcelona.de/en/barcelona-modernisme-art-nouveau.html.
“Modernisme.” The Thames & Hudson Dictionary of Design Since 1900, Guy Julier, Thames & Hudson, 2nd edition, 2004. Credo Reference, https://ezproxy.capilanou.ca/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/thdesign/modernisme/0?institutionId=6884. Accessed 03 Nov. 2019.
“Modernism- Art Noveau in Barcelona.” The Catalan Modernism and Barcelona, Nunez I Navarro, 2019, www.casalleomorera.com/en/barcelona-and-modernism/modernism/
Selbymay. “The Castle of the Three Dragons in Winter.” Castle of the Three Dragons, Wikipedia, Barcelona, 17 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_of_the_Three_Dragons.
Staudt, Wolfgang. “Barcelona Temple Expiatori De La Sagrada Familia .” Modernisme, Wikipedia, Barcelona, 21 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernisme.
During the second half of the 19th century, there were many important buildings and monuments in architecture. This included the Crystal Palace, the Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty, and most importantly, the Eiffel Tower.
Universal Exposition poster of Paris 1889
In 1889, the French government wanted to celebrate the fact that 100 years had passed since the French Revolution. In this year, no shots were fired and nothing was ruined. The French government wanted to find a way to commemorate the social ideals, art and industry that came from those years. To do this, the French Government put together the International Exposition of 1889. The International exposition also displayed exhibits in other countries.
It was questionable whether the French would host another international exposition because the one prior had lost money. However, since over sixteen million people attended the one in 1878, they wanted to also celebrate the Republican. And so they held “the fourth exposition universelle”. Celebrating the Republic in the exposition brought its own difficulties. Some of the most important European powers tested the Republic by ignoring the Exposition Universelle of 1889.
A competition was put forth for designs of a monument that could be put in Paris. Out of 100 submissions, Gustave Eiffel’s concept of the Eiffel Tower won. Although it brought skepticism, it also brought amazement as it became a technological masterpiece. The Eiffel Tower is 300 metres of open-lattice wrought iron that was perfect for the gateway to the exposition.
Eiffel Tower gateway to the exposition
The Eiffel Tower
The elevators were not in service on the day of the exposition, so 30,000 people climbed up the 1,710 stairs to the top. It was the tallest building in the world until 1929, when the Chrysler Building was made in New York. the Eiffel tower, however, became one of the world’s best tourist attractions.
From 1750-1850, there were many advancements in tools and technology. Especially in printing. In Germany, 1796, a new way of printing was invented which was called Lithographic printing. Alois Senefelder created this way of printing, however, he kept it a secret until 1818. He actually discovered this technique accidentally by writing his script in greasy crayon. When he finally revealed his discovery of lithography, it was through his book called “Vollständiges Lehrbuch der Steindruckerey (A Complete Course of Lithography).” This allowed people to see what Lithography was all about.
Lithographic Printing is a process where an image is applied to a surface treated in a greasy medium. For the surface, Senefelder initially used porous Bavarian limestone. Today, aluminum is usually used in this process. The image is then applied with a greasy ink, such as crayons, tusche, pencils, synthetic materials, etc. Nitric acid and gum arabic are then put on it to create areas that repel the ink, to allow for areas not to be printed. A roller is then rolled over the image to transfer the ink onto paper.
Result of process onto paper, from limestone
Detail on Limestone
This printing technique out shined intaglio, as it allowed for more tones and mark making to be printed. It also made printing colour easier because it allowed you to put the colour right on the sheet. I believe it must have been tedious work to individually colour pages, so it is good that this way of printing was discovered. With lithograph printing, you could print as many times as wished for, as one limestone could be used an almost unlimited amount of times.
It was useful to many people including portraitists and illustrators so that they could multiply their drawings. It also increased commercial work because it let people print posters and illustrations for people to see advertised. Artists enjoyed utilizing this way of printing. Romantic painters made use of the tone in the printings to create an effect similar to charcoal. This printing process is still used today and continues to quickly produce high detail work that is good quality.
Works cited
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Lithography.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 10 Jan. 2019, www.britannica.com/technology/lithography.
Ives, Colta. “Lithography in the Nineteenth Century.” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/lith/hd_lith.htm.
Many scientific discoveries were found around the 17th century. I suppose that is why this time is called the scientific revolution. One of the most influential people during the scientific revolution was Sir Isaac Newton. He was an English physicist and a mathematician who truly made an impact and many contributions on the future with his discoveries.
Portrait of Isaac Newton and all his discoveries
He made many discoveries in mechanics, mathematics as in calculus, optics, including his discovery of how we can see colour through white light. He believed that “all of the phenomena of the Universe could be explained by particles and force.” Out of his many findings, his most profound discovery that he made was the law of gravity.
Newton’s apple
It all started with an apple. It was believed at one point that Newton was walking under a tree and an apple fell on his head, which knocked the idea into him. This, however, was not the case. He did see an apple fall from a tree, though, and he wondered why it fell to the ground and not up to the sky. If the law of gravity didn’t exist yet today, I’m sure I would ponder the same question.
He eventually realized that perhaps the moon and the falling apple were connected to the same force. He called this force Gravity. The way he explained it was this: “Every particle of matter in the universe attracts every other particle with a force that is directly proportional to the product of the masses of the particles and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.” The mathematical equation he created for this was: FG = Gm1m2/r2 . This equation allows us to calculate the motion caused by gravity.
planetary motion
When the law of gravity was discovered, the universe made a lot more sense. His realization made a vast impact on the world. An example of how it did so is with Johannes Kepler’s law of planetary motion. Newton’s discovery of gravity proved Kelper’s law to be true. There is an important link between the motion by which the planets move around the sun and the way objects fall to the earth.
It is no doubt that Newton was an important contributor to the scientific revolution. I couldn’t imagine a world when discoveries like gravity weren’t even known of yet. There would have been so much to learn. It is important that we have people like Newton in our history in order to shape and advance our future.
“How Does Newton Explain Planetary Motion?” How Does Newton Explain Planetary Motion?, Hearst Seattle Media, LLC, 2019, education.seattlepi.com/newton-explain-planetary-motion-6264.html.
“Isaac Newton: Scientist, Astronomer – and Master of the Royal Mint.” Isaac Newton: Scientist, Astronomer – and Master of the Royal Mint, historycollection.co/isaac-newton-scientist-astronomer-master-royal-mint/.
In class we learned about God to Gutenburg. I thought it was fascinating how different typefaces were developed from the beginning. In addition I was interested as to how people went from writing in uppercase letters to using half uncial that allowed for easier legibility and its application to print writings.
Gothic architecture was a style that was exhibited all over Europe. However, France dominated architecture during this time between the 5th and 15th century. It truly flourished during the middle ages. In fact, some of the most monumental buildings were created in the Gothic style. An example of this would be The Cathedral of Notre-Dame. This cathedral is known as one of the three main examples of gothic architecture in France due to its innovations, sculptural elements, and stained glass windows- which we will explore more later.
Inside of the Notre-Dame to show the style of Gothic architectural.
Gothic architecture can be recognized by the use of pointed arches, rib vaults, large windows, and flying buttresses.
Example of flying buttresses in Gothic architecture.
These characteristics were most popular among cathedrals and churches. The buildings were also engineered to be very large. These characteristics of gothic architecture actually allowed these buildings to be the height that they are, while maintaining as much natural light as possible. Specifically in France, Gothic buildings can be distinguished than that of other countries due to one characteristic- their vertical and tall nature. The height of these buildings is believed to be symbolic of heaven. Make sure to look out for that on your next trip to France!
Windows were very important for this type of architecture. The style Rayonnant emerged in the 13th century, which increased Frances prevalence in gothic architecture. During the time of the Rayonnant building style, architects started paying more attention to decoration rather than size.
Rose window from the interior in Strasbourg Cathedral.
Windows were the main additive to this. The rose window (see image), which is a circular and decorative stained glass window that uses tracery to make it look like a rose. Although these windows were a beautiful decoration that let in light and colour, they were practical too. Due to the pointed arches, the walls could not hold up the building on their own. This allowed the mesmerizing stained glass windows to act as a support and embellishment within the arch.
In conclusion, these pointed arches work in favour of the gothic cathedrals and churches, as the stained glass windows give the most beautiful effect both on the interior and exterior of the buildings. Despite the fact that the rose windows are considered no more than an addition to grand cathedrals, its intricacy and colour makes it the centrepiece of gothic architecture.
What if you had to dress according to your social status? The Pharaoh controlled fashion in Ancient Egypt. The pharaoh had the highest authority, which was equivalent to that of God. People were highly dependent on the class system, therefore Ancient Egyptians were automatically placed into a hierarchy at birth. The clothing that they wore reflected their status in the class system.
Royal Headdresses in Ancient Egypt
Headdresses were an important part of differentiating the people in the class system. Upper-class headwear was much more extravagant than that of the lower-class. Members of the upper-class usually wore heavy wigs to protect their heads from the hot Egyptian sun, much like a hat. However, they would also wear ornamental hats known as headdresses, which represented their rank in the class system. These highly decorated hats were a clear indication of a person of high rank.
Headdress with cobra in the front
Headdresses had multiple symbolic elements. The Queens and Pharaohs would wear headdresses made from gold bands that met in the front to form a cobra head. This represented royalty. Another example of a symbolic crown was called the pschent. It represented the old kingdoms of Egypt. Many other crowns represented authority, or power in the military.
Ceremonial Headdresses in ancient paintings
Evidence collected from Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings revealed that there were also ceremonial headdresses, which were decorated with intricate designs. Imagine you were a ruler of Egypt and had to carry an awkward and heavy piece of gold on your head for the ceremony. The Pharaohs wore these only on unique occasions. They were much too large, heavy and uncomfortable to be worn otherwise.
Fashion inevitably changes over time. Perhaps these fashion statements were not in style for centuries after, but the Ancient Egyptians did continue to wear the earliest styles for special occasions in order to celebrate their past. One day in the far future, maybe people will be wearing baseball caps to special occasions in order to remember the 21st century.
Works Cited
Anawalt, Patricia Rieff. The Worldwide History of Dress. Thames & Hudson, 2007. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat02755a&AN=cul.b231239&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Black, J.Anderson, and Madge Garland. A History of Fashion. Morrow, 1975. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat02755a&AN=cul.b117188&site=eds-live&scope=site.
Cosgrave, Bronwyn. The Complete History of Costume & Fashion : From Ancient Egypt to the Present Day. Checkmark Books, 2000. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat02755a&AN=cul.b209157&site=eds-live&scope=site.
