Research into Design Movements
Today's task: research the Art Deco, Swiss Design, Minimalism and Post Modernism design movements.
Art Deco
The Art Deco design movement took it's name from the 1925 Exposition Internationales des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, and spanned the 1920's and 1930's, following on from the Art Nouveau movement and ending just before the start of the second world war.
Art Deco
The Art Deco design movement took it's name from the 1925 Exposition Internationales des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, and spanned the 1920's and 1930's, following on from the Art Nouveau movement and ending just before the start of the second world war.
It is epitomised by angular, sleek lines, geometric shapes and streamlined forms reflecting the modern world and technology of the time. It was influenced by the art movements cubism, futurism, and functionalism and was not restricted to fine art, but also encompassed architecture, interior design, product design, fashion and jewellery.
THE COMET by Guiraud-Riviere
THE COMET by Guiraud-Riviere
It reflected the time between the wars - a hopeful time when people were looking to the future with positivity and anticipation of prosperity. Whilst the economy was somewhat depressed in this inter-war period, people wanted to put the past behind them and the 1920's was a period of flamboyance in lifestyle and culture for the upper classes, and of progress in science and technology, especially travel with the introduction of air travel, the increase in popularity of cars etc...it was also the time of the great depression in the 1930's in the US.
The first thing that comes to mind for me when I think of Art Deco is Agatha Christie's Poirot! Very elegant, upper-middle class, lots of chrome, gold, silk, jade, ebony and ivory - very luxurious and glamorous.
The apartment he lives in is the first thing that springs to mind - the symmetrical sinuous curves (even the glass!) of the facade which tapers up in a repeated reduction of the shape of the building.
Florin Court, London, 1936 - Guy Morgan and Partners
The artists of the Art Deco movement often incorporated the exotic styles of China and Japan, India, Persia, ancient Egypt and Maya art. In
Among the well known artists of the time is Tamara de Lempicka.
Card Players - Tamara De Lempicka - 1926
The bright, bold colours, tonal gradation, cylindrical and spherical shapes typify Deco Art.
Swiss Design
I must confess, this is something I had never heard of, but having done some research I realise that this is because I totally take it for granted as computers do it all for us in this modern digital age. I now see it everywhere! I found the following websites to be good sources of information:
http://www.printmag.com/typography/swiss-style-principles-typefaces-designers/
http://www.printmag.com/typography/swiss-style-principles-typefaces-designers/
https://99designs.co.uk/blog/creative-inspiration-en-gb/swiss-design/
http://www.howdesign.com/featured/international-typographic-style-brief-history/
Originating in Switzerland in the 1940s and 50s, the Swiss Design Movement, also known as the International Typographic Style, favoured simplicity, legibility and objectivity. It is based on using grids for precise positioning, easily readable sans serif type faces such as Univers and Helvetica, limited colours and photography over illustrations. It is all about alignment, order, clarity and precision and influenced architecture, literature and graphic design.
It was a reaction against the likes of the Arts & Crafts movement in Britian, Jugendstil movement in Germany and Art Nouveau in France, where ornate, hand crafted typefaces and artistic flourishes in favour of the clarity and precision of machine based design.
Huber’s graphic poster for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, created in 1950.
Minimalism
I am tempted to just type 'meaningless' and leave it at that, or just draw a black square...but I guess that would be a little pretentious!
Minimalism covered most of the 1960's and a reaction against Abstract Expressionism. Abstract Expressionism (or the New York School) attempted to create abstract art that was also expressive and emotional. Minimalism tried to remove all expression and emotion, taking abstraction to the extreme. It is a movement away from everything that art has traditionally been - either a representation of a physical thing or an emotion - with minimalism, the artwork represents nothing but the object itself - the material it is made from. Little about the artist is revealed - artworks are impersonal, neutral, meaningless.
It is typified by square, rectangular or cuboid forms, constructed from industrial materials as in this untitled piece by Donald Judd in 1965:
and 'Hyena Stomp' by Frank Stella in 1962:
There is no hidden symbolism in the colours or materials used - they are just objects to be admired for exactly what they are.
http://www.howdesign.com/featured/international-typographic-style-brief-history/
Originating in Switzerland in the 1940s and 50s, the Swiss Design Movement, also known as the International Typographic Style, favoured simplicity, legibility and objectivity. It is based on using grids for precise positioning, easily readable sans serif type faces such as Univers and Helvetica, limited colours and photography over illustrations. It is all about alignment, order, clarity and precision and influenced architecture, literature and graphic design.
It was a reaction against the likes of the Arts & Crafts movement in Britian, Jugendstil movement in Germany and Art Nouveau in France, where ornate, hand crafted typefaces and artistic flourishes in favour of the clarity and precision of machine based design.
Huber’s graphic poster for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, created in 1950.
Minimalism
I am tempted to just type 'meaningless' and leave it at that, or just draw a black square...but I guess that would be a little pretentious!
Minimalism covered most of the 1960's and a reaction against Abstract Expressionism. Abstract Expressionism (or the New York School) attempted to create abstract art that was also expressive and emotional. Minimalism tried to remove all expression and emotion, taking abstraction to the extreme. It is a movement away from everything that art has traditionally been - either a representation of a physical thing or an emotion - with minimalism, the artwork represents nothing but the object itself - the material it is made from. Little about the artist is revealed - artworks are impersonal, neutral, meaningless.
It is typified by square, rectangular or cuboid forms, constructed from industrial materials as in this untitled piece by Donald Judd in 1965:
and 'Hyena Stomp' by Frank Stella in 1962:
There is no hidden symbolism in the colours or materials used - they are just objects to be admired for exactly what they are.
Post Modernism
Post Modernism started in the 1970's, reflecting a general move away from idealism of modernism towards scepticism, irony and criticism. This move was reflected in philosophy, literature and architecture as well as the arts.
Post Modernist art comprises many styles including Conceptual Art, Pop Art, Performance Art, Installations, Mixed Media etc... Although all these movements are different, they have some things in common - they all broke the rules of conventional, modern art in some way.
Whereas the Modernist Art of the earlier 20th century had a positivity about it, reflecting advances in science and technology, Post Modernism challenged the idea that all progress was positive. It challenged the belief structure of Western society and confronted issues of race and sex. It contradicted Minimalist Art by flooding work with expression, emotion and meaning. It tried to blur the line between high and low art, incorporating words and being funny, tongue in cheek, irreverent, challenging or controversial.
http://www.theartstory.org/artist-abramovic-marina-artworks.htm#pnt_3
Marina Abramovic - Rhythm 0 - Performance Art
Andy Warhol - Marylin Diptych - Pop Art
The most memorable piece of Post Modernist Art I have experienced was Peter Greenaways' Flying Over Water/Volar Damunt L'aigua' installation/exhibition at the Fundacio Joan Miro in Barcelona in 1997. Peter Greenaway is actually originally from Newport, which I didn't realise until I did a spot of research to jog my memory (it was 20 years ago!)
I remember walking through room after room of objects, sounds and artefact's expressing mans obsession with flight. Based on the story of Daedalus and Icarus, Flying over Water took us on a journey of research that Daedalus must have done before sending Icarus soaring into the sky. Research into which birds produced the most suitable feathers, how to put them together, which wax to use, calculations and calibrations, water samples. There were also rooms exploring possibilities - one investigating sounds that could have been made when Icarus fell into the ocean, an autopsy room, live models representing prototypes for Icarus. I particularly remember a display of a limp tube spurting water representing Greenaways assumption that Icarus would have urinated when he realised his fate. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before & brought out a range of emotions - I laughed and cried and felt awkward and intrigued.
Post Modernism started in the 1970's, reflecting a general move away from idealism of modernism towards scepticism, irony and criticism. This move was reflected in philosophy, literature and architecture as well as the arts.
Post Modernist art comprises many styles including Conceptual Art, Pop Art, Performance Art, Installations, Mixed Media etc... Although all these movements are different, they have some things in common - they all broke the rules of conventional, modern art in some way.
Whereas the Modernist Art of the earlier 20th century had a positivity about it, reflecting advances in science and technology, Post Modernism challenged the idea that all progress was positive. It challenged the belief structure of Western society and confronted issues of race and sex. It contradicted Minimalist Art by flooding work with expression, emotion and meaning. It tried to blur the line between high and low art, incorporating words and being funny, tongue in cheek, irreverent, challenging or controversial.
http://www.theartstory.org/artist-abramovic-marina-artworks.htm#pnt_3
Marina Abramovic - Rhythm 0 - Performance Art
Andy Warhol - Marylin Diptych - Pop Art
The most memorable piece of Post Modernist Art I have experienced was Peter Greenaways' Flying Over Water/Volar Damunt L'aigua' installation/exhibition at the Fundacio Joan Miro in Barcelona in 1997. Peter Greenaway is actually originally from Newport, which I didn't realise until I did a spot of research to jog my memory (it was 20 years ago!)
I remember walking through room after room of objects, sounds and artefact's expressing mans obsession with flight. Based on the story of Daedalus and Icarus, Flying over Water took us on a journey of research that Daedalus must have done before sending Icarus soaring into the sky. Research into which birds produced the most suitable feathers, how to put them together, which wax to use, calculations and calibrations, water samples. There were also rooms exploring possibilities - one investigating sounds that could have been made when Icarus fell into the ocean, an autopsy room, live models representing prototypes for Icarus. I particularly remember a display of a limp tube spurting water representing Greenaways assumption that Icarus would have urinated when he realised his fate. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before & brought out a range of emotions - I laughed and cried and felt awkward and intrigued.
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