Cubism - Picasso's artistic genious translated into graphic design by Cooper and Kauffer

Cubism – Picasso’s artistic genius translated into graphic design by Cooper and Kauffer Cubism is one of my favorite forms of art. In fact Picasso is one of my favorite artists. My father actually looks like Picasso at times too. When I look at the some contemporary uses of cubism, I think of our national park badges and emblems, and the CNN LVE symbol as I watch the news at the time of my writing this blog. Examples are below. Cubism was a born from the work of Pablo Picasso. Picasso genius of interpreting his cultural ancestors art and tribal art was a natural derivative of his environment and his influence of the impressionistic artists such as Cezanne. As with all artists when they surpass the basics some have genius moments that move their work beyond the ordinary. The influence of Picasso cubic art form created the genesis for Cubism graphic design. This work influenced many artists even to today’s artists and graphic designers. Then as Cubism was developing a few graphic designers to reflect on are: A.M. Cassandre, Joseph Binder, Austin Cooper and Edward McKnight Kauffer. Cassandre’s and McKnights work was paramount in leading a change in post WWI graphic design of cubism. They blended geometric design, streamlined design and zigzag approach with decorative carry over of the art deco trend using less realism in design and drawing of images. Both used a spatial design and organization of symbolic images and objects with type or lettering bring about a composition that was compelling. Austin Coper used cubism in his London Underground (subway trains) posters leveraging cubic shapes and rhetoric and color. For example, the posters stating that is cooler or warmer underground used bright primary colors to drive underground usage. Red cubes for warmer and blue to emphasize a cooler environment. The artistic shapes of multiple cubes in various positions and sizes are exploding upwards from the base of the poster is genius giving the illusion of temperature transfer. A photo of Austin Cooper is next to his poster for using the London Underground.

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Another poster by Cooper attempted to get patronage to be smart riders by using creative type in basic colors in cubic form, as shown in the “Help the conductor” poster from 1940’s. I like this one as it was very important from riders to keep moving through the underground as the underground was used in the evenings as sleeping quarters for many Londeners during WWII. Another WWII poster is celebrating the flags of Allied Nations, this is a very interesting poster, as cubism s about geometric shape, which flags are natural rectangles and of primary colors, but the structure of the poster is interestingly a “U” shape. Does this translate into “UNITED” in your mind?

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Edward McKnight Kauffer work was obviously similar, yet I think his style was more industrial in some cases but very geometric and sharp oriented and laden with the basic colors of and a lot of black and white and negative space to make the objects pop off the page. This is based on the posters I reviewed online. For example his posters for American Airlines air travel to visit California was a women on a beach with a ball. Colors used in the poster were blue, red and tan, diagonal type and bold words, shaped geometric font, and big blocks of tan and blue and a red ball. .



  

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1 Forgotten London Underground posters - Telegraph www.telegraph.co.uk400 × 640Search by image It is Warmer Down Below; by Austin Cooper, 1924
2. Artist: Austin Cooper - Poster and poster artwork collection ... www.ltmcollection.org300 × 288Search by image Artist - Austin Cooper. Artist Details. Collection of London Transport Museum 3. http://flashbak.com/22-amazing-edward-mcknight-kauffer-book-covers-32704/ “Help the conductor” - London Transport poster by Austin Cooper, 1942 by mikeyashworth on Flickr.
4 Poster Parade | London Transport Museum blog.ltmuseum.co.uk1480 × 2352Search by image They shout for joy, they also sing – Flags of Allied Nations, 1944, Austin Cooper
5. American Airlines,Kauffner
6. http://flashbak.com/22-amazing-edward-mcknight-kauffer-book-covers-32704/ Kauffner

Module 5 post - Art Noveau A great time in my opinion

Art Noveau arose from a gallery that was named L’Art Noveau that was collection of Japanese ukiyo-e art and the new artists of the Arts and Crafts movement seeking to express new methods of design and art.  The 19^th Century was greatly influenced by Eurpean powers, England and France, expanding trade and America exercising its power in the Pacific. These countries and Japan and China intersected and cultural and commercial trade started. Japan’s rule under the Shogun Tokogun was ending the isolationist and expanding trade. One export was its art ukiyo-e.  This art was based on drawing and woodblock art based on entertainment districts in feudal Japan and later the woodblock art prints. The unique art was based on traditional art methods and married the art of Japanese calligraphy and realism of nature, and a idealistic rendering of female form. The latter is similar in concept t Art Noveau’s style of goddess like women as drawn by Cheret and Mucha.

During the latter part of the 19^th Century and beginning of the 20^th Century the influence of Victorian social norms and realism on the morals, arts and graphic was ending and the new Arts and Crafts movements was beginning  and moving into the new art era of Modernism. The latter expressed a more natural approach and free form of art blended with a more linear and rectangular form, as well as industrial graphics. American Frank Lloyd Wright was greatly influenced by this era bringing about transformable changes in design, architecture and artistic influence. This period of American art based on Wright is my favorite.

Another favorite of the Modern art era is Klimst, Japanese traditional art for ukiyo-e and the poster art of Cheret.