| |
Period definition; Rejection of orthodox Modernist purity.
Post Modern Graphic Design goals;
• Upset established thinking, provoke convention and set new standards
• Incorporate subjectivity
• Include social and political commentary
• Blur the lines between fine art and commerce
• Embrace historical reference and decoration
There are distinctive visual characteristics in the Post-Modern style that blends history, new technology and decoration;
• Playful Kinetic Geometry with Floating Forms
• Sawtooth Rules and Randomly Placed Lines of Type
• Multiple Layers and Fragmented Imagery
• Pastel Blends of Color
• Disconnected Letter spaced Typography
• Frequent References to Art and Design History
Some of the work from Push Pin Graphics is classified as Post-Modern
Chwast Grapus Grapus GrapGlaser

[back to top]
Psychedelic late 50s, 60s
• Origins; San Francisco, youth culture emerged in New York, Atlanta,
Chicago, Dallas
• Attitude; Unique visual code for subculture communication
• Visual Characteristics; Inspired by Art Nouveau, Secessionist lettering and East Indian motif, Curvilinear forms, florescent colors
• Contributors; Wes Wilson, Peter Max, Stanley Mouse, Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoso
Max Grapus Grapus Grapus Grapus GrapMoscoso

Japanese Modern late 60s, 70s
• Origins; Tokyo
• Attitude; Break from International Style
• Visual Characteristics; Style visualized prosperity of the future, Designers employed photographic and computer-aided tools, Transformed pages to feel dimensional
• Contributors; Tadanori Yokoo

[back to top]
New Wave / Basel 70s, 80s
• Origins; Basel, Switzerland
• Attitude; Advancement of Modernist principles, Recycled Modernist styles and techniques.
• Visual Characteristics; Loosening up on old forms, Look more informal,
Used photographic and electronic technologies, Complexity using layered text and imagery.
Contributors:
• Wolfgang Weingart – late 60s, experimented with freeform type, he rejected order and cleanliness of Swiss grid.
• April Greiman – student of Weingart, explored bitmapped fonts, patterns, •
layered imagery and kinetic photography.
• Dan Friedman – also a student of Weingart, Friedman also taught along with designing, tested relationships between avant-garde and practical design applications.
Weingart Grapus Grapus GrGreiman Grapus Grapus GraFriedman

Memphis, early 80s, short lived
• Origins; Italian design group in Milan, Italy, Spread to London, New York,
• Los Angeles and Seattle
• Attitude; Function became secondary
• Visual Characteristics; Exaggerated geometric forms
• Contributors; Ettore, Sottsass, Jr. – combined Constructivist forms with brightly colored geometrics

[back to top]
Zurich 80s
• Origin; Zurich, Switzerland
• Visual Characteristics; Based on geometrics, Simplicity, use of white space and primary colors, Typographic collage
• Contributors; Rosemarie Tissi, Siegfried Odermatt
Odermatt Grapus Grapus GrTissi

American New Wave 80s
• Origin; New York, San Francisco
• Visual Characteristics; Graphic Imagery Reflects the Contemporary Fetish
for Products of the Material, Commercial, and High-Tech Culture
• Contributors; John Jay, Tibor Kalman, Rudy Vanderlans
Emigre Grapus Grapus GrapKalman

[back to top]
American Punk, 80s
• Origin; New York
• Visual Characteristics; Collage, Comic
• Contributors; Art Chantry, Gary Panter, Mark Marek
Chantry Grapus Grapus GraMarek
American Post-Modern, 80s
• Origin; New York, Houston
• Visual Characteristics; Trends in Architecture Influenced Typography and
Pictorial Use
• Contributors; Woody Pirtle, Michael Vanderbyl, and John Cassado
Pirtle Grapus Grapus Grapu Vanderbyl Grapus Grapus GraCassado

[back to top]
European New Wave, 80s
• Origin; France, Holland
• Visual Characteristics; Solid Graphic Forms and Unadorned Hand-Lettering
• Contributors; Grapus, Studio Dumbar, Joost Swarte
Grapus Emigre Emigre EmigStudio Dumbar Emigre EmigrSwarte

Digital, 1985 to the present
• Period Definition A generation's rebellion against cold corporate modernism Digital media encouraged experimentation cultural influences technology, computer applications bring page layout and typeface design to the masses
Visual Characteristics:
• Digital tools encourages experimentation and distortion
• Chaotic typography
• Layouts rejecting conventional placement of text and image
Emigre Emigre Emigre EmigFuse Emigre Emigre EmigreMakala

Design Home | History Home
[back to top]
|
|