Post 3
During the 1930's-40's the design movement underwent yet another change in style. European designers from countries like France, Germany, and Switzerland began popularizing simple poster advertisements. Companies, brands, and services would all turn to these accessible yet polarizing forms of design.
P. Masseau 1932
Take this beautiful example from Pierre Fix-Masseau. His work for the French National Railway was as stunning as it was elegant. The textbook translates "Exactitude" and "Etat" as 'Puncuality' and 'State'. The typeface itself lends a lot to the composition, but i tend to notice the really small details that make it appealing. The checkered train station floor, the engineer with a hit of blue in the background, and the bold shot of red across the front all make it one of my favorite pieces from the book.
E.M. Kauffner 1921
This next example comes from E.M. Kauffner of the United Kingdom. His style of work in the mid 20's seemed far before it's time and really came to light later in the 30's and 40's. In this oddly formatted piece for the Daily Herald, he utilizes the negative space of the composition to really accentuate both the type and the geometric graphic at the top. Overall, another one of my favorites from the time period.
P. Birkhauser 1935
Finally, we arrive at the work of Peter Birkhauser, of Germany. Again, in the mid 30's we see a real effort towards simplicity, and legibility, while still maintaining a strong sense of the design principles. All three pieces discussed in this post lean on the idea of 'straightforwardness' while still maintaining an elevated form that hints at a high class and elegant style of graphic design.
I also was a big fan of Birkhauser of Germany and their simplistic design during the 30s. Stoecklin's work were my favorites because they were illustrated and like Birkhauser were very simplistic. The 'Sunlight soap poster was something that caught my eyee during the reading. I also like Masseau poster because of its simplistic design.
ReplyDeleteI too find the railroad poster to be very striking. What especially stands out to me are the reflections of light on the smokebox front and the pilot area. These just add an almost playful tone to the piece, I don't really know how to describe it. It reminds me of an ultra-glossy finish on a wooden block train. The smoke and steam coming out of the stack is so incredibly wispy and airy looking. Maybe the designer used an airbrush to achieve this effect.
ReplyDeleteOn the button for PKZ, I like the fact that you can see each individual thread that holds the button to whatever piece of clothing.
I was very struck by how modern the poster for the French National railway is, and similarly the PKZ poster. The lines and shading are perfectly clean, and the details remain clear down to the smallest piece. For example, the perspective achieved by the checkered railway floor as it goes back into the distance is flawless. The posters appear as if they were made in modern design software.
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