Graphic Design: A medium for the masses

The Lecture;

Areas for consideration...
-The origins of Graphic Design
-Graphic Design in relation to Fine Art
-Graphic Design in relation to Advertising
-Graphic Design tool of capitalism
-Graphic Design as a political tool
-Graphic Design and postmodernism
-Graphic Design and social consciene

John Everett Millais - Pears Soup - early form of Graphic Design

"Whatever the information transmitted, it must ethically and culturally, reflect its responsibility in society." Josef Muller Brockman
Early Graphic Design is linked to advertising
Charles Rennie Machintosch (1896) poster (sense of Graphic Design)
Koloman Moser (1902) poster (sense of Graphic Design)
Peter Behrens, AEG (1910) (sense of Graphic Design)
Short space of time, Graphic Design being developed 10-15 years
Julius Gipkens, Trophies of the Air War (1917) poster
Wassily Kandinsky (1886-1944) composition VIII (1923)
F.H Stingemore (UK) London Underground map 1931-2
-More realistic- simplified - considered

Oskar Schlemmer (German) Bauhaus logo 1928
-first place Graphic Design considered as a disipline

Important Graphic Designers;
-Herbert Matter - Swiss
-Cassandre - French
Peter Saville, Blue Monday
-lost money on it - more interested in the design of the thing rather than the money

Don't mistake legibility for communication
Publis image limited album sleeve design (1986)
Chumbawamba, pictures of starving children sell records (1986)
Designers republic (1994) pop will eat itself
Mark Farrow - ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space
-most iconic design in the 20th century (limited edition) (1997)
Jonathan Barnbrook, Olympukes

Final thought;
-Graphic Design is a relatively young discipline
-Links between Graphic Design and different discipline
--e.g. Fine Art, Advertising are arguably becoming increasingly blurred
-Although born out of consumerist/capitalist interests, Graphic Design is arguably becoming increasingly concerned with social issues.