Futurism 1909-1914

Futurism:
Invented in 1909 by poet Filippo Tommas Mari it embraced the arts in their widest sense. It was a revolutionary Italian movement that celebrated modernity. The futurist vision was put forward in a series of manifestos that attacked traditional Italian art in favour of a new avant grade. They promoted heavy industrialisation, technology and transport swell as urban life in general. Futurists adopted the same visual style as cubists but with their own twist in which the subject is presented in a more dynamic way than in cubism. 

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Cubism 1907-1915

Cubism:
Cubism was invented by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque in Paris around 1907. It was the first abstract style of modern art. Cubist paintings ignore the traditions of perspective drawing and show you many views of a subject at one time. The Cubists believed that the traditions of Western art had become exhausted and to revitalize their work, they drew on the expressive energy of art from other cultures, particularly African art. There are two distinct phases of the Cubist style: Analytical Cubism and Synthetic Cubism . Cubism has influenced many other styles of modern art including Expressionism, Futurism and Orphism.

Modernism

Modernism:

Modernism arose from changes within western society, it is a cultural movement that started and developed alongside criticism of the industrial revolution, Modernist Artists include Hans Hoffman, Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Modernists rejected Realism and experimented with form and parody. Some characteristics of the movement and its pieces include self reference and awareness, It encouraged the re examination and re thinking of  every aspect of existence to determine which things were holding back progress. Many modernists rejected religious beliefs which led to many of them adopting an agenda which promoted the fact that many forms of art, culture and philosophy were outdated and needed improving.

The Aesthetic Movement

Aestheticism:

  The aesthetic movement is an art movement supporting the emphasis of aesthetic values as opposed to social or political themes within literature, fine art music and other arts. It was incredibly popular in europe at the beginning of the 19th century and helped to inspire other significant art movements of the time such as Symbolism and Decadence across Europe. Aestheticism is a great movement in my eyes and is seen as art for arts sake without having a political or social motive to inspire change among its audience, it is just made to be good looking and interesting and is something that is art.

How has the computer changed the appearance of graphic design over the last three decades?

Over the last three decades technology has evolved faster than society can keep track of. There seems to be a new must have gadget every other week nowadays whereas in the 1980s there was still no such things as a mobile phones or even bar codes. It is safe to say that technology has advanced at an alarming rate and it doesn't look like it’s going to slow down any time soon. This huge leap forward in available technologies has had a direct impact the world over not excluding the world of design.

                                                                 

   Recent technologies have allowed designers to leave the art room and turn away from the drawing board in favour of their new digital replacements which are far more efficient and mobile than their predecessors.  In 1984 innovator Steve Jobs introduced the Apple Macintosh computer, thereby changing graphic design and the world forever. This personal computer was the first of its kind, running MAC OS a user-friendly operating system that favoured the visual user and was very well received by everyday people.
    Since its inception the Apple Mac has inadvertently caused the digital revolution, redefining graphic design in the meantime and paving the way for the computer to become the major tool in the graphics industry.
 The Apple computer was the first computer built with creative people in mind, visual thinking was critical to its positive reception. It was created with the intention to reform the computer industry, to make computers not just usable by a technophile but rather to appeal to those artists and musicians and open up a world in which they could create digitally. The invention of the mac and creative friendly programs such as mac paint empowered the creative community. Essentially the mac took the computer world from the logical and gave it to the creative MITPsycho analyst Sherry Turkle has referred to this as the transition from a modernist culture of calculation to a postmodernist one of simulation.
   Since the opening of the computer world to the creative; technology has advanced as quickly as graphic design meaning demand for high quality graphics has never been higher. The last three decades have been ground breaking in the world of graphics in terms of what is available for the artist to use this means not only technology but also in terms of what the artist is actually capable of producing the last 30 years have brought advancements in what we see as possible not only in graphics but also in the world itself, we are doing things we never dreamed of and that is reflected in the design world. Programs like adobe Photoshop and in design have replaced the art table or the sketch pad and laid way for a new generation of graphic designers to fully explore these programs and create whatever they like, the possibilities are endless.
    The point I’m trying to construe is that the technological advancements since 1984 have made professional art and design equipment readily available to the everyman it has inspired a generation of forward thinkers to use the technology around them and create as they see fit. There are no back buttons in real life I think this is another reason why the graphics world has turned digital. The use of the programs allows for error and whilst still annoying it’s not quite the same as starting a whole project over after messing something up. The widespread use of technology has also added to the rise of digital graphics. 30 years ago computers were undesirable items that were prompted by code and didn’t even come with a monitor. The Apple computer changed that, made the computer a necessity over time and appealed to the masses it is with this that our ideas of what’s possible on a computer changed designers began to realize the potential of the software they were using and the things that they could achieve having learned the programs. Even on Mac paint a primitive version of Microsoft paint, which in itself is an antiquated version of photoshop artists were creating amazing images such as Mike Saenz who created some incredible comics.
 In short technological advancements brought on in the last 30 years have impacted more than just design they have affected the world over but, in relation to design, digital design and the way that artists work it has redefined what is possible when trying to fulfil a project brief or when designing anything the world of the creative has changed forever.











References and reading list :
http://www.reactivegraphics.co.uk/how-web-design-in-london-changed/
http://www.dmnews.com/how-technology-changed-creativity/article/90348/
http://blog.prezi.com/latest/2015/1/7/a-new-era-of-visual-communications
http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/publishing/articles/121403.aspx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtvjbmoDx-I
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3025606/5-ways-the-macintosh-changed-creativity-forever



by mason smith

Exhibition Review : Behance.net

The exhibition/gallery I looked at is an online creative arts website called behance.net. The site allows users to upload their own projects whilst also being able to view other artists portfolios. I chose this over a traditional exhibition because it allows the audience to see what they want and doesn’t put the restrictions on you that a real gallery does. I used the website to look at recently completed graphic design projects and looked at the ones that interested me or the projects I felt best represented my interests in the field of graphic design.

  I started by looking at the work of Ian Jepson a graphic designer from Cape Town, South Africa and his posters for the event ‘it came from the jungle’ I was drawn to this poster by its clarity, colour scheme and overall easiness consume. Its vibrant colour scheme and eye catching central image make this poster really leap off the page and conveys a great image to the audience. It feels like a completed image there is no boring space it is a very vibrant poster corresponding to the theme of the event it is promoting. All of the artwork is relevant and helps to draw the audience in powerful colours are used to display information against a dark background.

  Next I looked at some work from  Florian Schommer a German graphic designer. I looked at his piece ‘east of Eden’ an alternative graphic illustration created for ‘kiosk’ I really enjoyed this illustration, it is a non standard form of design it is quite abstract and resemblant of the Russian constructivist style but uses a range of colors and techniques to create a vastly complex yet interesting image. Each color compliments the next creating a very aesthetically pleasing final piece.  I really enjoy this alternative abstract style of cartoon, it provokes a lot of thought and is a very unique style in which to display information and make information fun and available.

  Finally I looked at some work from Indian graphic designer Shaivalini Kumar and her ‘decorative type’. This form of modern typography is really interesting and creative. Each letters motif is derived from traditional patterns and a vibrant contemporary style. The final result is an alphabet that really leaps off the page and catches its audience’s attention. The complex designs appear very simply on the page and appeal to a huge audience. Kumar’s color scheme is another thing to be admired; every last bit of color is perfectly placed in order to create a resounding full image. I really like this modern style of typography with color and pattern it is eye catching and widely applicable to many different products. For example some of shaivalinis lettering has been printed onto mugs, this is just one use of her incredible designs. Application is something very important in today’s design industry, if you’re design has no application then there is no point in the illustration.  Usability plays a key role in the marketing of any product kumar clearly keeps this in mind when designing any project.

Work in your specialism

The visual art industry is very large and gives us many employment opportunities. There are many jobs related to Graphic Design out there, it is an industry that will always exist, new things will always need to be designed and data will always need to be visualised. Graphic design can lead down exciting career paths such as Illustration, Printmaking and Photography all areas within the art world which require skills similar to those of a graphic designer. There are also other careers anybody interested in graphic design could be suited too such as interior design and production design.   Being a visual art there are no qualifications necessarily needed it’s about your talent and style and how well you can work as a graphic designer. But it helps to have a HND/degree in any visual art or subject related to graphic design, and a Btec or foundation degree prior to that. But most importantly it is key to possess the qualities and character of a graphic designer, a passionate enthusiasm, patience, the ability to work in a team and among other things excellent communication skills. Working as a graphic designer means working as a team and working with others on the same project to create a complete collaboration of ideas and possibilities. Being a graphic designer means planning your time well, managing projects and pushing your own ideas to the very limits, exploring every possible design route and being able to see why certain choices work well and why others look terrible.