(Douglass, E. 1969 The Black Panther)
(Kruger, B. 1990 I shop therefore I am)
(Crabapple, M. 2013 Guantanamo Bay)
“Today, the independent spirit is more vital than ever.” (Poynor 2004, p.9) makes a point of how mass media organizations give no room for independent publishing houses, newspapers and magazines. And that independent publishers are vital in creating different communication within design. An example of a self-published magazine was the Black Panther. It created a voice for the black community in the 1960s. Emroy Douglass was the illustrator who created the iconic graphic style of the magazine. The illustrations he produced captured an uprising in equality for black men and women. Douglass has a collection of work for Black Panther magazine that documents a time in history that connects people and tells a story today.
The next published work I found was by Barbara Kruger, a feminist graphic designer. ‘I shop therefore I am’ I found on the (Adbusters 2017) website, a group of artists and writers who believe in changing the world order. I think that Kruger’s interest in bigger issues in the world creates feeling in her work. Feminism in design is a topic which I think needs to be brought up more and Kruger as a female designer is doing this. (Roberts 2015) touches on the difference of recognized male designers to female designers. That publications, conferences and awards have a responsibility to represent females as they are equally talented.
(Lupton 2011, p.60) explains how “In an age of self-publishing and social media, the author function has splintered and multiplied… “Author” is now a role that anyone can play. I believe that this is a good thing regarding feminism and an equal playing field for designers. Molly Crabapples has a following created through her online presence, which has given her a career and appreciation for her talent in illustration. She is also a journalist and goes to document places all over the world in a state of civil unrest or crisis. The image I chose by her was one of Guantanamo Bay which has a lot of controversy involving the humanity of the prison. The way in which she documents the stories of these prisoners with interviews and drawings gives her work meaning and the viewer a better understanding of the world around us.
Barbara Kruger, B. (1990) I shop therefore I am. Available from: https:// [Accessed 3 December 2017]
Crabapple, M. (2013) Guantanamo Bay. Available from: https://mollycrabapple.com/reportage/ [Accessed 3 December 2017]
Douglass, E. (1969) The Black Panther. Available from: https://letterformarchive.org/news/emory-douglas-and-the-black-panther [Accessed 3 December 2017]
Lupton, E. (2011) Graphic design: Now in Production, Reading and Writing. New York: D.A.P.
Poynor, R. (2004) Communicate! independent British graphic design since the sixties. London: Laurence King Publishing
Roberts, C. (2015) Splendid new book showcases 75 industry-defining graphic designers. London: It’s Nice That. Available from: https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/caroline-roberts-graphic-design-visionaries [Accessed 3 December 2017]