The directions for this final project seem simple (pick a past design style and argue why it is better than today’s), but the complexity and sheer breadth of graphic design requires two pieces of analysis before you can choose: one, how do you evaluate a piece of visual communication, and two, how do you categorize … Read more
Meggs says Zembla was 100% original, I need to see more example of Vince Frost’s work So as usual, it is hard to forget about the last 20 years of modern design and look at something from the past as being innovative and new when it has been imitated and copied for years and become … Read more
Assignment: Module 9 includes much of recent graphic design, names, countries and styles most of you have seen. Tell us what interests you of recent past. Seeing how designers respond to cultural, technological, and political changes – both good and bad – fascinates me. We tend to think only of the upheavals of the late … Read more
Assignment: This module continues more of the same material as Module 7, European influences and contemporary design. Tell me what or who impresses you most. Herb Lubalin is the one designer who was an immediate favorite on seeing his work, I loved his exuberant style and creativity. Some of my favorite poets played with the … Read more
What in the world is Leo Lionni doing in the Module 7 lecture? He is a children’s’ book illustrator! I was very surprised to see Leo Lionni’s name as an illustrator of the Nevada entry for CCA’s States Series, since I was familiar with his name as an illustrator for children’s’ book. Indeed, I have … Read more
John Heartfield’s work – why don’t we see work like this today? I was quite taken with the pictures of his work in the readings, and did some of my own research. As usual, The Art Story has a nice listing of his more important work (Meggs doesn’t have room to do same), with background, … Read more
New figure to research: Hector Guimard Meggs didn’t mention Guimard in any detail, but he was the best known French Art Nouveau architect, He was famous enough at the time that some people even called Art Nouveau “Style Guimard”, since his work stood out from other architects and even artists. His form of Art Nouveau … Read more
Why did local governments pass no-posting ordinances, one of the factors leading to the demise of poster houses? Posters have an important history in protest and politics that will come up in future chapters, I am sure, but I was struck in my reading that one of the factors hurting poster houses in the late … Read more
Meggs Chapter 5 Reading Notes Why did it take a scribes and illuminators 4 – 5 months to make a 200 page book? That’s roughly 20 weeks, 10 pages/week, which is very roughly 1-2 pages a day? I do calligraphy and while I am not expert, I could easily do 1-2 pages of writing in … Read more
This covers Chapters 1-4 from Meggs’ book. Chapter One – Early Writing Reading over the sections about prehistoric man’s cave drawings and the early writing of the Sumerians, I was struck by the universal humanness of needing to “keep track”. Early man didn’t have vessels of wine and dried foodstuffs to label, but he still … Read more