Graphic Design History Flashcards: 1st Exam

Maîtres de l'Affiche

"Masters of the poster." Published 1895-1900. Small-format reprints of notable posters by 97 artists, 256 plates. Artists included Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Alphonse Muche, Theodore Steinlen, the Beggerstaffs, etc. "Poster craze," of the 1890s. A clear indication of design's entrenchment in popular culture.

Ukiyo-e

"Pictures of the floating world." The term generally refers to Japanese woodblock prints that feature images of actors, courtesans, or landscape. Yoshiwara district of Tokyo.

Secessionstil

"Secession Style." a synonym for Art Nouveau as it was practiced in Vienna.

Discuss how Art Nouveau incorporates elements of Japanese ukiyo-e prints

*Art Nouveau incorporates elements of Japanese ukiyo-e prints by including planes of even color, crisp contours, and two-dimensional character. Art Nouveau also used unusual compositions at times, similar to Japanese ukiyo-e prints, which helped to spend time perfecting the models being represented. Overall these prints were simple, and easily recognized by others from afar.

Why didn't text need to look like handwriting as it became more widespread?

*Because printing was becoming more widespread, the text did not need to resemble Gothic script in order to be deemed valuable.

How is Behren's work at AEG the first sustained effort at "corporate identity?"

*Behren's work at AEG is the first sustained effort at "corporate identity" due to his development amid Symbolist's of the utopian future. This technique turned an abstract concept into concrete reality, leading to an artistic vision being co-opted.

List the goals of both Art Nouveau in Scotland (Glasgow School) and in Vienna.

*Collapse division between "fine" and "decorative" arts. *Artist-led utopia; escapist alternative to alienation of industrial age. *Design style as marker of national identity. * All echoed in many other art and literary movements of the time.

Describe the Le Style Mucha

*Elongated figures amid a field of decorative flat patterns. *Muted, often earthy palette. *Concentrated on the curvilinear rhythm of contour lines. *Stylized plants, flowers, marine life, and natural forms. *Sinuous and irregular designs. *Idealized beauty, and open sexuality.

How does French Art Nouveau differ from more conservative styles like those we see in the United States and England?

*French Art Nouveau differs from more conservative styles, like those we see in the United States and England because of their sexual undertone. This representation, which is used often when selling products, or advertising for an event, was looked down upon during this time in both the United States and England.

List the issues that Austria was facing at the turn of the century. How does Freud play a role in how society is changing?

*Hapsburg Empire crumbling. *Ringstrasse (1860s) as social divide. *Artisans suffering under industrialism. *Suffrage and early feminism threatened the status quo. Sigmund Freud, who was known for forming the birth of psychology, played a role in how the society was changing due to the myth he used to explain modern events. Freud's theories also withheld a sexual undercurrent, such as oedipus complex, and femme fatale.

What are the characteristics of Victorian design?

*Information over aesthetics *Used whatever was on hand (=chaos) *Printed laid out text & images

Describe La belle époque

*Known as the "beautiful era." *Included arts, music, and literature that flourished during this time. *Excessive luxury was seen as moral decay, also referred to as fin de siecle ("end of the century.") World weariness, anxiety, and despair become relevant during this time period. *High rate of alcoholism, insanity, and suicide. Some individuals who suffered from these issues were Camille Claudel, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

Why were nightclubs and cabarets so popular among the middle class in Paris?

*Nightclubs and cabarets were so popular among the middle class in Paris because of the entertainment provided during that time. This entertainment often included dancers, that were known for being promiscuous, as well as pantomimes, who presented fantastic acts.

Why no photography in the early years of graphic design?

*Photography was invented in the 1830s, but couldn't be directly reproduced in print (like newspaper & magazines) until the invention of half-tone printing. *Not part of graphic design until the 1920s.

Why was Caslon used in the Declaration of Independence?

*Preeminence based on usefulness, not aesthetic qualities (prefig Helvetica)

How did the "poster craze" of the 1880s indicate the importance of graphic design in late 19th-century culture?

*The "poster craze" of the 1880s indicated the importance of graphic design in the late 19th-century culture by its intense impact on society as a whole. This growth shown within the industry truly was used to celebrate the society's unique culture at the time. This allows the world of graphic design to earn a new respect, and truly step into its own realm within the 19th century.

Why was the Glasgow School an ideal place for artistic innovation? What were their influences?

*The Glasgow School was an ideal place for artistic invitation due to its ability to help an individual escape from problems of industrialization and urbanization. The Glasgow School of Art sought to develop a national style that was modern but also influenced by traditional Celtic design and symbolism. The Glasgow School also was influenced by Japonisme and the "decadence," of artists like Beardsley and writer Oscar Wilde.

How did the Vienna Secessionists and the Jugendstil designers get word out about their ideas?

*The Vienna Secessionists and the Jugendstil designers got word out about their ideas by creating posters that helped publicize their work.

Discuss the reasons why the Vienna Secessionists broke away from existing artistic establishments.

*The Vienna Secessionists felt that Viennese art academics were out of touch with new styles. *They wanted to create an alternative organization with a large venue for progressive artists. *The Vienna Secessionists also wanted to revive art by introducing the foreign avant garde.

Modern vs. Traditional Typefaces - what makes a typeface modern?

*The traditional world is European-style based on capital letter carver by Romans- Political & Social meaning. Roman letters made w/ thick & thin strokes, ending w/ serifs: short lines w/ pointed ends, at an angle to the main stroke. Based on Roman letters. Mimic the lines when writing with a quill. w/o serifs typefaces look more modern *2nd Half of 18th century: "Modern" typefaces Even greater contrast between thin & thick strokes; serifs reduced to the hairline. Stress is vertical. Metal type no longer resembles handwriting; forms built on the armature of horizontal, vertical, & circular elements (compass & ruler).

Why were they called the "Spook School?"

*They were called the "Spook School" due to the enrollment of Margarent Macdonald, Frances Macdonald, Herbert MacNair, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Each of these students were major players in the Scottish Art Nouveau style, while also being firmly connected to the Arts and Crafts Movement. These individuals created work that was far beyond anything another individual had seen before, and often, were known for working on pieces that were supernatural. This work was shocking to others, and therefore led to the title they are known for, being "Spook School."

*Title: Gutenberg Bible *Designer: Johann Gutenberg *Date: 1455 *Significance: The Gutenberg Bible helped introduce the basis for letterpress printing within this time period. This Bible specifically, combined printed type with woodcut illustrations, in order to create a smooth transition for every individual who was used to handwritten text, while also introducing a brand new technique. Gutenberg invented the printing press in Holy Roman Empire w/ moveable type ca. (around) 1440. Mechanized book production Renaissance, education. 2 vol work; 1,282 folios Fewer than 200 printed. most important, first massed produced book. handwritten look- wood blocks for mass production- anybody now has access to the printed word.

*Title: Gutenberg Bible *Designer: Johann Gutenberg *Date: 1455 *Significance: The Gutenberg Bible helped introduce the basis for letterpress printing within this time period. This Bible specifically, combined printed type with woodcut illustrations, in order to create a smooth transition for every individual who was used to handwritten text, while also introducing a brand new technique. Gutenberg invented the printing press in Holy Roman Empire w/ moveable type ca. (around) 1440. Mechanized book production Renaissance, education. 2 vol work; 1,282 folios Fewer than 200 printed. most important, first massed produced book. handwritten look- wood blocks for mass production- anybody now has access to the printed word.

How does the incorporation of text differ in Glasgow School and Viennese takes on Art Nouveau?

*Viennese Art Nouveau includes geometric clarity with organic accents. Also withholds the technique of using many or all art forms within a piece, while also incorporating orthogonal principles. Text is plinth for figures instead of being integrated. *Glasgow School creates elongated figures that are supported by a geometric block of text that is unintegrated within the piece. This technique creates a composition that is entirely made of a series of boxes encasing organic forms.

What is the Wiener Werkstätte?

*Wiener Werkstätte is a group of artists that spun off in 1905 from the Vienna Secession who wanted to raise the quality of Austrian decorative arts.

Gesamtkunstwerk

A "total work of art," meaning a piece - originating with the music dramas of Richard Wagner- that collapses every possible aesthetic experience into a unified whole. Uses many or all art forms. Sought to beautify modern urban society.

Jugendstil

A German synonym for Art Nouveau meaning "young art," derived from the magazine Jugend.

whiplash curve

A defining stylistic element of Art Nouveau. It is an S curve that is suggestive of the pent-up energy of a whip suspended in mid-air.

Vienna Secession

A group of young artists in late nineteenth-century Vienna who rejected the conservative artistic conventions of the era.

Arts and Crafts Movement

A late nineteenth-century decorative arts movement in Europe and the United States that rejected industrial production in favor of handcrafted goods with simple, often geometric, designs. Small-scale production designed for skilled craftsmen, not machines (like a woven rush seat). The designer of the work also was skilled in its production.

Lithography

A planographic printing technique invented in 1796 by Alois Senefelder. Stone, direct printing technique.

em box

A unit of measurement in typography that corresponds to the size of the implied frame around a letter.

The Four

Also known as, "The Spook School." Was made up of Margaret Macdonald, Frances Macdonald, Herbert MacNair, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who was best known for architecture. These four individuals were the major players in the Scottish Art Nouveau style, but also were firmly connected to the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Roman Letter

Are made w/ thick & thin strokes, ending w/ serifs: short lines w/ pointed ends, at an angle to the main stroke. Mimic the lines made when writing w/ a quill.

Fraktur

Broken curves, oblique strokes; retain the character of calligrapher's brush.

Chromolithography

Color lithography; the process whereby a color image is reproduced using flat stones that have been drawn on with greasy ink or crayons. A separate stone is used for each color.

Historicist

Designers that reference styles from the past.

Blackletter

Germany. The general term for typefaces that resemble the forms of the medieval script; the positive space formed by black ink overwhelms the negative white space of the paper.

American Type Founders Association

In 1892, 23 type foundries joined in corporate trust to standardize prices for type, and control copyrights for new designs.

Offset lithography

Lithographic plates transferred to rubber cylinders before printing.

Enlightenment

Originated 17th-century Britain, culminated w/ French philosophes. Voltaire (1694-1778), Denis Diderot (1713-1784), Jean d' Alembert. Power of reason over faith.

Sans Serif

Proliferation of new types (1,000s) for decorative & displays purposes 1816, Caslon first commercial sans serif; uniform strokes, vertical stress. Excellent for extremely large sizes; bold statements.

Typography

Technique of composing printed material from letterforms (typefaces or fonts).

Wiener Werkstätte

The "Viennese Workshops." a group of artists spun off in 1905 from the Vienna Secession who wanted to raise the quality of Austrian decorative arts.

Japonisme

The European, especially French adoption of Japanese art and fashion during the late nineteenth century.

Decorative Arts/Applied Arts

The applied arts are all the arts that apply design and decoration to everyday and essentially practical objects in order to make them aesthetically pleasing.

Graphic Design

The process of working with words and pictures to enhance visual communication. Must influence quickly, efficiently.

Arabesques

The term denotes the geometric patterns that were a popular part of the Art Nouveau style.

Viennese Expressionism

Was developed out of the Secession movement. Increased emotional impact on the viewer like Symbolism, but without the polish of Symbolism and Art Nouveau. Associated with Werkstätte designing bookbinding, illustrations, and ceramics. Represented storm and stress of tortured souls, anxiety or unease, and how the world feels through distortions of forms, color, and space.

Illuminated Manuscript

handwritten book that has been decorated with gold or silver, brilliant colors, or elaborate designs or miniature pictures.

Logo

identifying mark, trademark, based on letterforms combined with pictorial elements. Changes in different cultural climates but still looks similar.

Motion Graphics

is animation, but with text as a major component. Visual effects, live-action, & animation to create two- dimensional project that moves. Began 1950s w/ title sequences for Hollywood movies Saul Bass aided Hitchcock in opening title to "create a climate for the story to follow."

Woodcut

plank cut along the grain; less detail (negative); limited to few 100 editions as edges deteriorate from pressure.