Early Swiss Post Modern Design

Work From the International
typographic style

During the International typographic style hints of postmodern design started to emerge. This movement made use of natural and objective typefaces. They rejected disorder and subjectivity and favoured simplicity and scientific objectivity.  Young graphic designers started to expand the range of possibilities in the 1960s and one of the earliest indications of that was Rosmarie Tissi`s advertisement in 1964.

Advertisement for E.Luz and company
by Rosmarie Tissi 1964 

This advertisement was made for E.Lutz and company. In this advert we can see a number of symbols of headlines, text, halftones etc through the means of illustrations. To the viewer it seems as if these images were randomly placed. These images are therefore not aligned in boxes in the grid. Furthermore, some of the rule lines are created by a means of illusion which creates more interest to the viewers. No colours were used in this poster. In addition the artist also made use of diagonals especially in the text at the bottom right of the poster.

Siegfried Odermatt trademark
for the Union Save Company

Another predecessor of Swiss design was Siegfried Odermatt when he designed a trademark for the Union Safe Company. The letters in the word ‘union’ are squeezed together in order to show strength reflecting the potency of the product. This is done at the expense of losing a little bit of legibility. The typography used (which is sans serif) is placed in a diagonal manner. This work is somewhat similar to the advertisement by Tissi especially the way text is placed and the use of black and white.

Tissi and Odermatt  then started working on typeface design where their originality shined. They managed to create innovative and unusual letterforms as can be clearly seen in the cover issue of Graphis in 1980 by Tissi. The artist managed to make the typography appear as if it is three dimensional. This type was very innovative at the time. The word ‘Graphis’ is forming a perfect curve dividing the composition in two creating a clean and ordered work. Also the grids used in order to show this dimensionality are also visible. 

Rosmarie Tissi Graphis cover 1980

Rosmarie Tissi Graphis cover 1980

Schriftgestaltung  1972 Rosmarie Tissi

Steff Geissbuhler, Geigy
Brochure cover 1965

Steff Geissbuhler was another important swiss designer that experimented greatly with intricate forms. In 1965 he created a brochure cover for Geighy.In this cover one can see a flat black background with typography in white which is distorted in such a way that it forms a circular tunnel in the middle. The typography (which is in sans serif font) is forming a circle and it is as if the text is being sucked by the black hole in the middle. This poster is very interesting to the viewer.

These designer`s works still look fresh and modern. Rosmarie Tissi`s work has inspired artists such as Paula Scher for “its modernity, its beauty and precision”. It seems as if this influence can be seen in her 1997 poster ‘Bring In 'Da Noise, Bring In'Da Funk’ where the word 'noise' seems to be decreasing in size whilst further text is placed diagonally in different directions as if its cut out and pasted in different directions.

Paula Scher 1997 poster 'Bring In`da
Noise, Bring in'Da Funk`

Rosmarie Tissi, poster for Anton
Schob printers 1985

I personally find these works especially interesting. Typography is not simply used to deliver a message but typography itself is part of the design which I found to be very intriguing especially in Geissbuhler`s brochure cover in 1965.

References:

Philip B. Meggs, 2011. Meggs' History of Graphic Design. 5 Edition. Wiley.

Samuel Tam's blog: Field Journal. 2015. Samuel Tam's blog: Field Journal. [ONLINE] Available at:http://samueltamsblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/normal-0-10-pt-0-2-false-false-false-en.html. [Accessed 17 January 2015].

Hall of Femmes | L’hommage: Paula Scher > Rosmarie Tissi. 2015. Hall of Femmes | L’hommage: Paula Scher > Rosmarie Tissi. [ONLINE] Available at: http://halloffemmes.com/2014/10/lhommage-paula-scher-rosemarie-tissi/. [Accessed 17 January 2015].