Studio Brief 4 - Poster Research

Studio Brief 4 - Message and Delivery - Delivery

Research

History

Posters were amongst the earliest forms of advertising. They began to develop a key medium for visual communication during the late 18th/19th century. They had great influence on the development of typography and composition because text needed a be read easily from a distance. Poster design spread rapidly all over the world and became a key feature graphic design. 

Posters were initially use to communicate a number of  key ideologies that were popular at the time for example they were used to promote political parties,  army recruitment and to advertise products. However  as poster popularity increased over time they have been used to advertise and promote most almost everything. The artists of the international typography style of design said it was the most effective tool for communication.  

The Great Poster Movement (A general History of Posters) - VIDEO

Belle Epoque 

The style of poster produced in France around 1880 marks the first definitive poster style recorded. The lithographic poster was a key element of the Belle Epoque (Beautiful Era) and was often used to market goods and entertainment to the newly revolutionised middle class. The large format of these poster allowed them to make a commanding public presence that was the main advertising technique before the era of the magazine. These posters often contained images of young women often half dressed used to deceive the public into buying the product, unfortunately the public eventually became desensitised to these techniques rendering the style slightly ineffective. 

Art Nouveau 

Art Nouveau was heavily featured in posters between 1890 and 1910. The ornamental style was all the range throughout Europe and the America. One such designer that was famous for his Art Nouveau influence within poster design was Alphonse Maria Mucha, he used a combination of suble colour and Byzantine style which was instantly well reviewed by the public. One of his most famous works was his poster for Sarah Bernhardt, which included a purely decorative portrayal of the deal of feminine beauty.

World War 1

World War One introduced a new trend within posters, the political poster. Before 1914 political posters were banned in most countries however, during the war they became one of the most powerful propaganda tools. The war turned the humble poster into the most important for of political propaganda. The blunt powerful messages helped recruit for the way, raise moral and boost patriotism. 

Beyond the war

After World War I, new definitions of the relationship between art and society were established. Influenced by the modern art movements like Futurism, and Surrealism, the poster became a defining figure in the avant-garde movement of the 1920s, from de Stijl to Bauhaus. Photography and Typography were combined like never before to became an integral part in the development of the poster. In contrast to Art Nouveau, the machine age led to the development of the Art Deco movement. Art Deco placed a strong emphasis on geometric shapes and striking patterns that incorporated streamlined typeface. The movement quickly spread throughout Europe. with artists such as Mouron Cassandra become extremely well known for his ability to simplify designs making them easily understandable. 

Futurism (Marinetti)

Art Deco (Cassandra)

Photomontage 

During the revolutionary times following the "Great War" artists began to creatively use photomontage as a completely new art form. Berlin was where this style was most prominent, heavily featured within this style is the dada group who were looking for a new means of expression that one that had greater semantic values than popular abstract works yet did not feel old fashion falling back into previous styles such as the Art Nouveau movement. 

Swiss Design 

The international typographic style was developed in Switzerland around the 1950’s as Switzerland emerged as one of the most influential places for graphic design during the first decades after the war. This was to do with the country's advanced and highly skilled printing industry that was not affected by the destruction of the war like other european cities. Swiss poster development and design was actively supported by the government through annual competitions. As graphic design developed Switzerland played an important roll in this development with new typefaces such as Helvetica were introduced making it an iconic of the swiss style of graphic design that has been creatively used in poster design to this day. 

The Psychedelic Poster

With the ever-growing presence of TV and radio and the increasing dependence on photography within the advertising industry resulted in re-definitions of the poster. The pop art and the counterculture movements of the mid-1960 led to the development and rise of the a new visual style, which was later named the psychedelic poster. Influenced by the combination of rock music and hallucinogenic drugs,  the movement was strongest in San Francisco which included concert posters that were reminiscent of the Art Nouveau style.