Blog Post 1 (Matthew Donald)

One of the pieces that really caught my eye during the reading was Alphonse Mucha's Job cigarette papers advertisement. There was something very intriguing about the way he created a background texture using an element from the foreground. "JOB" is written in big letters at the very top of the poster and its accented by "job" written in little letters evenly throughout the background. I think it does a good job at creating an interesting composition while maintaining the central focus around the brand. The big "JOB" flows on top of a large ring where a woman sits. I think the overall shape of the illustration was executed very well because of its emphasis on curves. The curves of the hair and the woman are all reinforced by the circle in the center of the page.
Image result for job cigarette papers poster"
Mucha, A. (1898). "Job" poster for cigarette papers. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JOB_(rolling_papers) on January 1st, 2020.

In this piece of typography created by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy the word Pneumatik is written in a flowing three-dimensional sweep towards the viewer. I remember seeing this graphic in class during one of the videos, and its something I've seen before. There is something so interesting about the way the perspective works in this, and the way a little tractor is able to crawl across the surface of a word without looking flat, boring or illegible. The movement of the word is then also contrasted by the sweep of a white stripe from the top of the page. This graphic is able to be complex without being to dense or confusing. It is expressive and simple at the same time.


Moholy-Nagy, L. (1923) "Pneumatik" advertising poster. Retrieved from http://www.iconofgraphics.com/Laszlo-Moholy-Nagy/ on January 1st, 2020.

Being a film major, I found our discussion of movie posters and title sequences very interesting, so I decided to take a look at some iconic ones. This is one of my favorites because of the choice of color and the straightforward composition. The graphic designer lets the creative image speak for itself, while leaving the type at the very bottom in super small letters. This creates an incredibly solemn and dark mood that perfectly complements the film. I think this poster design is very brave and the image has stood the test of time.

Image result for Rosemary's Baby poster"
Gips, P. (1968). "Rosemary's Baby" movie poster. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Rosemarys-Baby-POSTER-Movie-Inches/dp/B00KK6NZIS on January 1st 2020.

Comments

  1. Hanna HJanuary 14, 2020 at 5:50 PM

    The first image caught my eye as well! I didn't notice the curves until you pointed it out and now that you mention it, it works very well together design wise. I have no knowledge of film but seeing that you're a film major and seeing your point of view from the poster is very interesting to hear compared to a normal graphic designer student such as myself.

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  2. RyceJanuary 14, 2020 at 9:31 PM

    In your textbook photo, I appreciate the harmony the many circles throughout bring. The subtleness of them gives me a calm undertone, yet not so subtle to the point of where I'm not effected by it. I also like how they used texture and color to bring out a certain mood for the observer.

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  3. Leslie RamirezJanuary 14, 2020 at 10:14 PM

    I agree with what you said about Laszlo Moholy-Nagy's "Pneumatik" having an interesting perspective. When I look at it, I can't help but feel as if the swoops and curves create a sense of adventure for the little tractor, as if it were on a journey down a winding cartoon road. I mostly appreciate this work for its large curves, and the way they show balance with their simplicity. The only thing that bothers me slightly is the way the curve under the work "Pneumatik" is perfectly curved while the word itself seems a little off. The spaces between the letters 'p' and 'n', as well as 'e' and 'u' do not look perfectly curved, making me want to mentally separate the word in between those spaces.

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  4. Ryan QuirkeJanuary 15, 2020 at 1:19 AM

    I agree with your viewpoint on the movie poster and how it lets the image speak itself because I think it portrays a clear visual hierarchy. The image of the face is of most importance, the silhouette of the baby carriage is next up, and the text at the bottom is of least importance because of its small letters. I also find the "Pneumatik" advertising poster to be interesting because the text is curved in a way that aligns with the path of the tractor which is very different from most traditional posters that have flat text. To me, the tractor appears like it is going to come off the poster.

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  5. SamJanuary 23, 2020 at 2:04 PM

    The Rosemary's Baby poster really follows a similar set of rules as the first poster in that the main graphic elements like the hair and the circle and the "Job" all sort of run in a parallel flow. In the Rosemary's Baby poster, her face mimics the top of the mountain the baby carriage rests on, and the vignette around d the green tone creates another upward shape from the baby carriage. I am glad you included both of these.

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