In week 6 we looked at the elements that make up modernism with the rejection of traditional forms and making it simple and direct, typically made up of geometric shapes, primary colours, and sans serif.

Jan Tschichold was a German graphic designer, who is well known for his book on typography, his Penguin book covers and the type faces he created Iwan Raschiniev (1930), Transito (1931), Saskia (1931–1932), Zeus (1931), and Tschichold (1933–1936). I really like his typefaces they are all very clean.

Tschichold

We then looked at the shift to America, when many famous artists moved there like Otl Aicher who I talked about in the group presentations for his 1972 designs for the Olympic Games. Two others that stand out to me are Herbert Matter, and Lester Beall.

Herbert Matter (1907 to 1984) was a Swiss designer who moved to the USA. He studied École des Beaux-Arts in Geneva, he worked in Paris, and Zurich in Switzerland eventually moving to America till he took up a teaching position at Yale. Here are two of his pieces that I like they are very modern transcending time, very strong images, and are very interesting.

Lester Beall (1903 to 1969) born in Kansas City, Misssouri, started as a painter and then at University of Kansas started exploring Graphic Design, after his studies he moved to New York City where he began his working career. Here are two of his posters they are impactive, with an interesting use of shapes to make a point.

Jan Tschichold, Master Typographer of the 20th Century | CreativePro Network

Herbert Matter | Biography, Designs and Facts (famousgraphicdesigners.org)

Graphic Design – Herbert Matter® Official Site

The Creative Legacy Of Lester Beall: Pioneering Graphic Designer - GRAPHICOLD