Postmodernism was a reaction for the over utilitarianism of modernist design of the mid 20th century. As modernism was so committed to the grid, organisation, and cohesive style, there was only so far that it could be pushed before designers began to forgo the consideration of human interaction and instead focus on making design that fit the ideas of modernism. Postmodernism sought to rejuvenate design by reinstating style, and thus is such a broad movement that it is hard to define, but at it’s essence, postmodernism is the rejection of limitations. Often associated with this movement is the usage of bright colours, bold unorthodox typography, and expression through design.
Paula Scher is a partner of Pentagram in New York and is one of the most influential graphic designers in the world. I first came across Paula Scher when watching episode 6 of the Netflix documentry series “Abstract” and been fascinated by her work, particularly her Public Theater posters and her maps.
The 1995/96 Public Theater poster is a really interesting use of typography, with it all crammed into the page. I really love of the type is “fitted together”, and moulded around the image of the figure. The use of various weights gives the design a rhythm and musicality, which encapsulates the energy and vibrancy and the New York theater scene. I really love the organised chaos of the poster as at first it looks cluttered, but when you actually look at it there is a clear separation of information and it’s such an interesting approach to poster design.
Neville Brody is an English graphic designer and typographer known best for his magazine work. His work often featured experimental and energetic typography as seen in his work for Nike. The design features type with varying size from letter to letter. The sizing gives an energy to the type which reflects the “bounce” which is the main word of the text. It’s really interesting to me as the Nike brand has always been neatly designed and this approach is very different yet it still work and feels fundamentally Nike.
Another piece of design by Brody I really like is the “African Uprising” spread. It’s a very different approach compared to the Nike piece, utilising the background colours and shapes to give the page a chaotic energy which is reflective of the culture. What I find really interesting about this design is the fact the type takes up under half the page, allowing Brody to really display the white space and fill it with painted shapes. It’s an incredibly expressive design and is a really well done way of presenting organised type on an otherwise chaotic page.
Jamie Reid an English graphic designer and anarchist who is best know for his work on the Sex Pistols album covers. Reid is a very different type of designer, his work often featuring harsh contrasting colours, ripped and rough graphics made from printouts and newspapers, and an overall chaotic energy. His work is very politically charged, often being remorselessly critical of the government, corporation, and capitalism. His use of colour is very interesting to me, a lot of the design uses colours that are pleasing to look at, but Reid’s work uses extremely bright and contrasting colours with no regard for the eyes. Utilising colour in this way makes Reid’s work stand out, as if the pieces are screaming the messages they are portraying. I also really like Reid’s use of typography, the varying sizes and fonts taken from newspapers creates a harsh look and adds to the violent messages of his work.
A lot of his work is currently on display in the “Taking Liberties” exhibition in Ulster University. After attending both the exhibition and a talk on the exhibition I found myself fascinated with Reids work and style. I’m so used to seeing the grid based, clean, and elegant design that is usually associated with graphic design so Reid’s work is a breath of fresh air. I really wanted to experiment with this style of design as it’s now just as relevant as it was in the 70s and 80s. The 70s and 80s saw a long standing conservative government lead by a hated pm (Thatcher), constant miner strikes, and the threat of black outs. Today we see a long standing conservative government lead by hated pms (Johnston, Truss, Sunak), constant rail and transit strikes, and the threat of black outs.
While not directly part of this course, I have an ongoing personal project exploring post-modernism viewable here.
<aside> 📢 Personal Postmodernism work
Project 01 - Exploring Postmodernism
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