Post Modern Design - Supergraphics

Rosmaire Tissi direct mail folder
for Anton Schob printers 1981

In Modern design, artists rejected traditional design and useless decoration. Instead of decoration, they favoured geometric designs and simplified forms. In other words they made use of utilitarian simplicity. Functionality was a very important aspect of design and worked with the mentality of less is more. Furthermore, artists made use of mass production which resulted in standardization of products. Post modern design on the other hand rejected the principles of modern design. In fact, these artists sought to produce work which was against the strict rules of modernism. They were once again interested in decoration which was lost, they utilized symbols in their work and questioned the ideals of form follows function.  They paid more attention to the ‘feel’; they did a certain design because it felt that it is right and not because it satisfied any particular communicative need. It is therefore more subjective and unconventional.

During this time there was not only a great change in design but also in society in general. Social norms that were accepted were being scrutinized. There was also an increase in pluralism, cultural diversity and immigration amongst others. There was a climate of cultural change. 

Late 1960`s graphic design was also spread to architecture were large-scale environmental graphics were emerging. Bold geometric forms of bright colour, huge arrows and giant Helvetica letterforms were being produced. Supergraphics eventually became very popular and are still popular to date. These works were

Paula Scher`s work for a performing arts center
in New Jersey ( Before and After)

made to stand out in order to create an impression of depth and a sense of direction. Paula scher did the same thing when she transformed the exterior of a performing arts center in New Jersey. She painted with white the red bricks, whilst she painted the cornices in black creating emphasis on the horizontal lines.  Furthermore she put typography on the top part of the building which is in a Gothic style.

Perhaps the most important and influential architect was Robert Venturi. He looked at the urban landscape of electric signs, large advertisements on billboards and buildings in a neighbourhood and saw functional purpose and liveliness in them. He saw a building in terms of the environment surrounding it. He saw that graphic design and new and developing technologies were an important aspect in architecture.

Robert Venturi competition model for the
Football Hall Of Fame 1967

Barbara Stauffacher Solomon supergraphics
for Sea Ranch 1966

Barbra Stauffacher Solomon was called on by architect Charles W.Moore in order to give life to an architectural structure by giving it colour and shape. Solomon used pure colours and geometric shapes changing the entire space. The artist was given a medal by the Institute of Architects for “bold, fresh and exciting designs clearly illustrating the importance of rational but vigorous graphics in bringing order to the urban scene.”

Barbara Stauffacher Solomon supergraphics
for Sea Ranch 1966

Artists today still experiment with supergraphics. These artists include Sarah Hayter were she put up a supergraphics exhibition in order to experiment with the idea of graphic communication using this kind of graphic design. I personally find these super graphics very interesting. They make the spaces we live in very creative and for instance if one goes to a school that has these kind of graphics one would definitely be in a more happy environment that you would not mind going to.  I think that the popularity and interest for these graphics should grow even more and I would like to see projects like these even more often. 

Sarah Hayter Degree Show Exhibition Supergraphics 2014

Sarah Hayter talking
about the exhibition

References:

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

Steven Heller, 2012. 100 Ideas that Changed Graphic Design. 3.3.2012 Edition. Laurence King Publishing.

Degree Show Exhibition Supergraphics. 2015. Degree Show Exhibition Supergraphics. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.sarahhayter.com/degree-show-exhibition-supergraphics.html. [Accessed 11 January 2015].