My journey for this course, The History of Graphic Design, through the pages of Meggs text, and the vast knowledge extended through my instructors lectures etc. , has been nothing short of revelation. I began with the briefest of interludes into a scan of the text, the Aubrey Beardsley's immediately caught my attentions, as I have always been a fan. That, and a bit of a paragraph on the Vienna Secessionist movement, and I was instantly intrigued. I had never considered the art of Beardsley in the context of graphic design, or as he as graphic designer, but the text made clear my notions of the medium and it's history were soon to be challenged , and my own mind enlightened on the subject.
With an initial delve into the early history and leanings of primitive man, his petroglyphs and pictographs, such as the ancient Maori, I was versed into the true bedrock of man's need and effort to communicate graphically, and quite effectively, from the advent and dawn of written communications. I wandered from there mentally to the subsequent chapters which had investigations into the chronological timeline of graphic communication.
I was avidly interested in the Art Nouveau movement and the variables of the medium at the time, poster arts having been a favorite inclination, as I have been a collector much of my life of the period. My son Parrish, is named after the painter Maxfield Parrish, however a later artist of the time, but his work prominent in advertisement and graphic design. I was enthralled with the posters in the text and the descriptive historical data tying in all the various movements and regions, and impetus for the work. Jan Toorop a Dutch artist, was unknown to me before this course, and now without question one of my favorites. His work is a catalyst for style and truly inspiring to me, I think it humorous his wife's name was Annie Hall, I wonder if perhaps Woody Allen was a collector.
I found the chapters on the Surrealist movement quite engaging, Salvador Dali is ever present an influence in all mediums, but I had never considered him either, in the history of graphic design. But from Joan Miro to Max Ernst, and being led to the new stable of Surrealists, such as Mario Sanchez Nevado, and the technological advantages of contemporary artists of the medium, a window to unlimited self expression and an exciting frontier of the history was opened.
The opportunity to write about Herbert Bayer, an old family friend, was such a pleasure. I grew up with his work, and always felt such an affinity for it's simplicity of form. His history in graphic design was unknown to me, the Bauhaus movement incorporated so many talents and offshoots from which I know I will personally draw inspiration in my future graphic endeavors.
By far and away the most inspirational and profound, as well as relatable graphic designer I learned about in this course, was Gunter Rambow, what a force of provocation and magical expression. His work pushes the proverbial envelope in the best of ways and should be an inspiration to all to use the medium to open doors, give voice to those who have none, and make us all utilize bravery in our creations.
All in all my most interesting course in the GID program to date, an elegant finish to two years of beautiful knowledge.....
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