The Future of Graphic Arts I. Introduction The role of a graphic designer can be seen as wide ranging and adaptable

Authors Avatar
The Future of Graphic Arts

I. Introduction

The role of a graphic designer can be seen as wide ranging and adaptable, the influence can extend from that on the direct client, to in some cases, society in general. Graphic design is not a new art form. We can argue that as long as there has been art there has been graphic design. However, for many decades, and even centuries, the term graphic designer was not applied to the practices if this art form.

The term graphic designer was first used at the beginning of the twentieth century, and it is this era that can be seen to mark the beginning of the modern era of graphic design. It was in 1922 that first printed reference to this term can be found (WebCT, 2002). Since that time there have been many changes, social, political and technological, all of which have effected the perception of graphic design and the way it is both created and perceived.

To understand where the art form may go in the future and how it could develop we need to look at the past. This is form this we will get a 'feel' of the sector and see how patterns emerge that reflect and art reflected by the different broader environmental aspects of modern life.

II. The Early Twentieth Century

This is not the beginning of graphic art, indeed there is a plethora of advertisements form the Victorian era that ay be seen as accomplished graphic art, with a history stretching back much further. However, in any paper we have to use some form of starting point, and the art that take prior to the beginning of the twentieth century is the art of another ear where there were nit the same modern influences, such as ,multiculturalism, communication and the same facilities as well as the increased technology that made it more possible for the same piece of art to be seen by many more people, such as through bill board advertising and the use of the printed medium.

It is at the beginning of the twentieth century that we see the start of the avant-garde movement. The ability of the art form to move foreword was propelled by the increased availability of the printed media. This also demonstrated a movement in style, looking away form the past and towards the future (WebCT, 2002). This can be traced to 1909, with the beginning being seen in Italy, when a futurist movement began.

This was an age where there were many changes, there were new forms of transport, automobiles were becoming popular, there was also increased technology being used to develop warfare capabilities in response to the rising trend if nationalism. This was becoming the age of machines, with their popularity effecting the very fabric of society, making it more mobile. The use of aircraft also heralded the future, making possible what was though to be impossible. This sis all reflected in the avant-garde movement. We can argue that this was the foundation for many graphic art forms that were to develop later in the century, form advertising of implements to the creation of comic books and super heroes (Daniel and Kidd, 1998).

An example pf this type of art was Dada. This art form started out in Zurich, where, in 1916, the art work could be seen as a reflection of these hopes for a new order and they sociality was changing. The art was focused on the changing of perceptions, amending the status quo. It then subsequently spread to more cosmopolitan centres, such as New York and Paris, where his art was used as a reaction to the horrors of war when the First World War was in progress (WebCT, 2002, Meggs, 1998).

The art was not only in graphic form, but was also seen in writing such as poetry, where the art forms could be seen as supporting each other. It was in Russia that there was to be another development, where there was the constructivist approach. Here there was a combining of different ideas, with the use of poetry as the word combined with different typography, using different type face on the printed page in order to give more meaning and effect to the word by increasing their visual effect (Meggs, 1998).

It is argued that these moves created a " new language of public address" (WebCT, 2002). There are many examples of the way that we see the form of art change, increasing the integration, sand also as a tool for the support and creation of political change. An example of this from Russia can be seen in the work of Liubov' Popova such as his work entitled 'The Magnanimous Cuckold'. In this there was the inclusion of the red square that was to become so politically recognised later in the century. This was on both the costumes as a function element as well as a social and political comment (WebCT, 2002).

It was also though the experimentation of these avant-garde artists that we see the beginnings of the graphic form of advertising we know today. The increased nationalism also saw these development used for political ends, not on in terms of support, but also in terms of the way that the political statements were portrayed and present to the general public. In the Soviet Union this was used to promote state goods as well as to promote the party using artists such as Vladimir Maiakovskii and Aleksandr Rodchenko (WebCT, 2002). The artists used advisements that made use of large or different type faces as well as the use of symbols or motifs that could be used to make a visual association (WebCT, 2002).]

A book was published in Berlin aimed at developing this market, The New Typography, written and published by Jan Tschichold showed the way that the Dada and Futurists artists had used typography to change the presentation of their poetry (WebCT, 2002). This book also demonstrate how these experiments had lead to a new art form that could be used for both pleasure or leisure as well as for valuable commercial applications (WebCT, 2002).

The use of the art form was spreading, with greater emphasis on posters, not only in the form of political rallies and those already seen, but in more normal commercial advertising, such as Cassandre who used a style that was both flattened and stylised, typified by a 1935 poster that was designed as an advertisement for Nicholas, a wine merchant, where there is a strong cubist impression. The idea here was not to inform, but to overwhelm the audience with the spread of different forms that are present in a single presentation (WebCT, 2002).

The social developments of the globe were also a force that was changing the way that graphic art was presented. The increased technology saw the introduction of more photomontages, and it is interesting to see that way the Soviet Union jumped on graphic cart as an effective form of propaganda, not only internally, but in the international arena. El Lissitzky's work was used in order to promote the idea of the Soviet Union the rest of Europe. Exhibitions were arranged so that Europe would see how productive the political system was, and try to show the fitness of the way the country was operating (WebCT, 2002).

Poster to this end appeared in many countries, such as Germany and France. In other parts of the worlds the posters were also used by the government for other forms of propaganda or information spreading. This idea of fitness was used in Germany, and the role of domestic cleanliness gained emphasis. It was this later idea of cleanliness that was to be used against the Jews in propaganda that created an environment where the holocaust could take place (WebCT, 2002). This is not to argue that graphic art facilitated the holocaust, but that it was a tool used by the politicians to support the actions they were taking by whether justification of cover up (WebCT, 2002).

Over the Atlantic Ocean their was a similar pattern, showing that the ideas and use of this form or art as an advertising medium was also recognised. Public works projects were promoted by Lester Beall during the 1930's. The depiction of this project is describes as "this poster for the Rural Electrification Administration juxtaposes a photograph of two young people against an abstracted American flag to express optimism for a technologically enhanced future" (WebCT, 2002).

This is also a political manifestation in the way that there is a presentation of an image designed to give hope in a time where there are different social problems. However, this was not a new move, as in 1917 there was the use of graphic art in the form of posters as a reaction against the social condition, and supporting the revolution (WebCT, 2002). In the country there was support given to the Russian Telegraph Agency (ROSTA) (WebCT, 2002).

If we look at the way these posters were made we can see why thy were so limited, with poster printed by hand, or attentively only with the use of rough stencils (WebCT, 2002). This limited the amount of poster's but still the work of artists such as Gustav Klutsis and Mikhail Razulevich development and used more mechanical methods of reproductions (WebCT, 2002).

Nearby in Germany politics was also the subject of John Heartfield where he was against the rise of the Nazi part though this use of graphic arts, however, this time the images were more direct with the use if graphic art as a political advertising using photomontages as well as slogans on a single poster (WebCT, 2002). This was a demonstration of how graphic art could be used to develop emotional feeling regarding public issues and to change the opinions of those watching (WebCT, 2002). This has been used again and against throughout history, with the different message against the status quo being depicted in images relevant to the contemporary society (McQuiston and Greer, 1997).

Here we have seen the beginnings of the development, how society and politics have influenced the way that the art has been developed. If we want to look to what the future may hold we need to take a leap and consider how the more recent past has developed with the use of graphic art. Here we can then see the way that the foundations were built upon.

To undertake this there are many approaches that can be developed. The way in which graphic art has development may be seen in many mediums in many countries., However , in keeping with the theme of looking to the future we will look at an artist of the past that was both prolific, and seen as looking ahead of his time to what the future would hold. To this end we will consider the role of one of the most influential graphic artists of the twentieth century; Paul Rand.

III. Paul Rand

In considering a specific work of a well known designer we can understand how the work influence the customer as well as influenced the wider environment of that of graphic design and the way that the influences that are felt in the short term and the long term. In looking at Paul Rand's work we can conclude that he influenced not only his clients, but also appreciate the wider influence he has had ion the graphic design industry in general as well as appreciating the uniqueness of his own style, as was demonstrated by the design of many logo's including that of IBM.
Join now!


There are many graphic designers that have had a long lasting impact on the way we see the world and interpret its meaning. Some designers have been subtle in the influence and the range of designs that have made a difference have been anything from typefaces to landmarks, but one of the best known, if not by name then by his work must be that of Paul Rand, also known as Papa logo (Lange 1998).

Paul Rand has a wide range of styles and worked in the field of advertising, and can be seen to have ...

This is a preview of the whole essay