I found a quote in the book that I really appreciate and wanted to point out: "a composition can be evolved, and a novel idea expressed by simple means" (87). I like this quote because it discusses the fact that just because something is simply does not mean that its development has not been deeply thought out.
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| Figure 1. Zermatt. Reprinted from Graphic Design A Concise History (76), by R. Hollis, 1994, London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. |
I appreciate the two-dimensional nature of this piece. Its two dimensionality creates a simplistic feel which is present within my own style, so I am always drawn to it. The contrast between the dark mountains in the foreground and the colorful/light further emphasizes the simplicity of the peace because it is evident to the viewer which mountain range is close and which one is further away. I am not a huge fan of the font that "ZERMATT" is written in; however, it screams swiss to me. I do like that the letters are the same height all the way across so that they do not take away from the design above, but I which the middle prong in the E was centered and the letters were not as stretched.
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| Figure 1. Negro Art: Prehistoric Rock Paintings of Southern Africa. Reprinted from Graphic Design A Concise History (82), by R. Hollis, 1994, London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. |
There are a lot of things that I like about this piece by Max Bill. Firstly, I appreciate the extreme abstract between the square in the foreground and the oval in the background. I believe that they complement each other nicely and draw attention to the text in the foreground. It is very simplistic; however, it incorporates an intriguing aspect with the contrasting shapes.
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| Figure 2. Au Bucheron. Reprinted from Graphic Design A Concise History (83), by R. Hollis, 1994, London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. |
I was under the impression that this picture was from an outside source, but it is just discussed two pages ahead (page 85) of when it is presented. I found this very interesting because I was drawn to the way that the print was described in the book; however, when I made the connection that it was located on a previous page it was not what I had imagined. The book describes an enlarged prints' type, with the shape of the C looking like half of the O. I thought I was going to like the printers' type font; however, I am not a fan of the aggressive edges and points that appear in this type.
Your analysis of the posters above was very insightful. I hadn't made the connection between the Bucheron poster and the description of it 2 pages later. At that portion I was very lost but continued on. I really wished that they had included it at least on the same spread. However, I also wasn't a fan of the type either. I don't mind sharp points but I agree that some edges are aggressive. The 'U' in particular is what set me off from the poster. As for the Zermatt poster, I think it's interesting that you don't enjoy the typeface that 'ZERMATT' is written in. I did some research for another class on typefaces in the 1920's. While I'm not that big of a fan of the rounded edges, I do enjoy the stretching of the letters (it's my favorite part of typefaces from the 20's). I think that while I don't particularly enjoy the typeface as well, it continues to perceive a feeling of height which I do like.
ReplyDeleteYour discussion on the Zermatt piece really resonated with me. When looking at it I can't help but fall in love with that 2d, foreground-background, imagery that makes it feel so alive. I couldn't express what I disliked about the Zermatt type other than that it was too small. However, I found that when you brought up that you appreciate the equal height, I would have preferred variation within the letters themselves. Something in the Z to give it the same impact the mountain has and the rest maybe the same impact the foreground has. I find a lot of similarities in the Zermatt piece to that of clothing companies now such as Patagonia, Naturebacks, and Parks Project.
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