The postmodernism movement was a reaction against the modernism ideal.

Wolfgang Weingart went beyond the modernist graphic and typographic style experimenting layout and type to produce complex and chaotic posters creating a style which is now associated with the postmodern movement.

“He taught a new approach to typography that influenced the development of New Wave, Deconstruction and much of graphic design in the 1990s.” (Flask, 2017)

I like the use of layers in his cover for a Swiss Typographic Monthly Magazine Typographische Monatsblätter (TM) in 1973. The textured pattern over the type creates a cut out look that reveals the layer behind the type without causing the text to be unreadable.

 

“Tissi whose career began in 1958 joined Odermatt and together they created highly controversial works dismissing the modernists stylistic approach. Their work took on a very playful manner and they relied on the subjectivity of their work by playing with letterforms and orientation.”(The New Wave Type, 2013)

This image really interested me because I loved the artists playful use of letterforms, taking the word offset and changing the composition and orientation of the letters to create an abstract composition and doesn’t appear to spell a word from first judgement. Type and letterforms play a key role in my works and therefore their composition and orientation are important like they are in Tissi’s work. Colour is another key element to my practice and I like Tussi’s use of multiple colours, carfully chosen so not to be overbearing. The use of several warm colours with a contrasting green made this particular piece of work by Rosmarie Tissi stand out to me.

 

I use computers and digital software a lot in the production of my work but graphic designers haven’t always used computers during their production. “April Greiman is regarded as one of the most influential designers of the digital age. She has been called a pioneer in this regard, making it acceptable for a graphic designer to explore their craft using a computer.”(Smith, 2009)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image 1: TM SGM RSI 11/1973. (1973). [image] Available at: http://www.tm-research-archive.ch/issue/1973-11/ [Accessed 30 Nov. 2017].

Image 2: Direct mail folder for Anton Schöb printers, Rosmarie Tissi. (1981). [image] Available at: http://www.historygraphicdesign.com/the-age-of-information/postmodern-design/766-rosmarie-tissi [Accessed 29 Nov. 2017].

Image 3: Your Turn, My Turn, 3-D. (1983). [image] Available at: http://www.madeinspaceshop.net [Accessed 30 Nov. 2017].

Sources:

Flask, D. (2017). Wolfgang Weingart : Design Is History. [online] Designishistory.com. Available at: http://www.designishistory.com/1960/wolfgang-weingart/ [Accessed 29 Nov. 2017].

The New Wave Type. (2013). Type Heroes – Odermatt and Tissi. [online] Available at: https://thenewwavetype.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/type-heroes-odermatt-and-tissi/ [Accessed 30 Nov. 2017].

Smith, J. (2009). Design discussions: April Greiman on technology: idsgn (a design blog). [online] Idsgn.org. Available at: http://idsgn.org/posts/design-discussions-april-greiman-on-technology/ [Accessed 30 Nov. 2017].