Blog Post 3

What initially caught my attention at the start of the reading was the portion about Herbert Matter. I’ve been really interested in the development of distribution as we’ve continued through the course readings. It was interesting to learn that he produced his posters similar to the production of magazines (gravure process). What really intrigued me was that his posters were printed and then the type was added on by hand. Because of this, distribution was more widespread, as any language could be used to convey the message.
Figure A. “All roads lead to Switzerland” with a landscape in the background. Reprinted from Graphic Design: A Concise History (78), by R. Hollis, 2005, Place of Publication: Thames&Hudson Inc.
I think it was also interesting to learn that he tended to use a specific color palette (red, blue, black). This reminded me of one of the designers from Helvetica (I believe) who only used about 5 typefaces. I might be remembering it incorrectly, but it was something along those lines. It made me wonder how he was able to create multiple messages with the same color palette. After some research, it turns out that only his posters tended to keep the same scheme. His other work showed much variation. Still, while his work carried the same colors there was a lot of direction and graphical elements that created distinction between his posters. In the two photos below, they share the same red, blue, black color palette but also have very clear distinctions between the messages. I really like his poster work. I think that he creates direction very well (the eagle in Figure B and the direction of the person in Figure C). I think that he also creates distinct feelings with each poster. The poster in Figure B feels like it’s trying to make the view take action while the poster in Figure C feels calm. 
Figure B. Matter, H. (1941). 1941-World-War-II-Poster [Poster]. Retrieved from http://herbertmatter.org/welcome/posters (on January 19, 2020).
Figure C. Matter, H. (1936). 1936-Pontresina-Poster [Poster]. Retrieved from http://herbertmatter.org/welcome/posters (on January 19, 2020).

Both of these posters reminded me of what A.M. Cassandre was quoted for in the reading on page 84. He said that posters are a form of communication from the seller to the public. He mentions that the artist's job is only to create the communication. The artist is not there to expresses the way that the artist feels but the message that the seller wants the public to receive. I thought of this quote because of the limitation of the color scheme. It felt very limiting in the way that different messages would be able to be understood if they all seemed similar. It felt slightly like Matter, and all other artists who limit their abilities to one specific list, are risking the impact of communication.

Comments

  1. Peter DJanuary 29, 2020 at 3:48 PM

    A very fascinating dissection of this artist, and a thorough examination of his unique tropes. If posters are a form of communication, Matter is as articulate and eloquent as they come.

    ReplyDelete

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