Frank Lloyd Wright's Little House, Minnesota (1912-1915) an example of Arts & Crafts in America
here are the themes: pictorialism, Caldecott, comics, Puck, Gibson girls, Thomas Nast, Pyle, the Prerraphaelites, and its critical reception, Victorian aesthetics and finally the Arts and Crafts and its heroes: Morris, Ruskin, Selywn Image (check my Morris dictionary here).
Go ahead,
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The image of the typewriter brought back memories of when I was a child and used to play with my grandfather’s typewriter. I think about how today we have tools that correct our spelling and grammar, and we also have instant access to a thesaurus. I believe back then it took much more effort and focus it took to type meaningful words. And of course, one had to be much more careful about making typing errors.
I believe that photography has always been an art form and I find it hard to believe that people used to deny that. I am currently taking a history of photography class and it has made me question photography in a way that I hadn’t before. I always assumed that photographs represent reality (well the style that I like..."realistic"), little did I know the many ways that photos can be manipulated, even when it still looks "real". Now, I question what is in a photograph and I wonder how it might have been manipulated. Also, I find Pond to be incredibly moving and beautiful. There is an eerie and peaceful sense that emanates from the photograph, even when viewing it on a computer.
Last week we covered a lot of interesting things, in my opinion, but I want to focus on two of them; first and foremost, I thought the early medical advertisements were interesting. I actually found them to be funny because they advertise pretty much anything and it makes no sense, but I guess for the time period it was normal. Especially the ad for heroin, it advertises something that has a very negative connotation to it which makes sense considering the current opium epidemic. It’s also interesting considering how the medicinal ads are now.
Another thing I found interesting was the arts and crafts movement; one can see the amount of time put into the designs because of the large amount of detail and level of perfection accomplished within the pieces. I also thought it was interesting that it was a way to get away from mass production and make authentic pieces and connect the artist to the craft again.
As the course moves along, I am intrigued by the impact graphic design has on the world, and during last week’s class a particular artist grabbed my interest. Thomas Nast, the best political cartoonist, grabbed my attention. Firstly, Nast’s campaign against Tweed being described as “the finest and most effective political cartooning ever done in the United States,” is an incredible event in history. Regardless of political views, I have great appreciation of his artistic abilities. The concept of political cartoons dating to those times is intriguing, and to have the courage to do such a thing at the time is incredible. Graphic design had various uses, and this one is a “message for the people.” I think that Thomas Nast was able to leave his “mark” using graphic design; however, his “mark” went further than the arts, by creating change within his society at the time. Political cartoons are not just like regular cartoons because the corresponding and appropriate prior knowledge is required to fully understand them. The viewers at the time had to have had that knowledge to completely understand where Thomas Nast was coming from. In addition, it is interesting to me that the cartoons look so commercially usable, but also political. Once again, we are faced with the reality that not only is skill on the paper and with the pens important, but knowledge holds greater power.
There were two things that stood out to me in this week's lesson. First, the impact that simplicity has on everlasting images. The Victor Gramophone is a perfect example of how one image can define and translate a new invention to an audience. The image of a dog listening to the gramophone makes an impression that even a child can remember.
The second thing that stood out for me were the images of the Gibson girls. They were images of seductively intelligent women who embraced their femininity. What makes them even more interesting is that he took earlier American images of the "fragile" lady and the "voluptuous" woman and added an intelligence and beauty that elevated women. Being that these were done during a period where women's movement was still in its infancy, one could say that Gibson was able to translate the idea of a woman who would not be threatening to men but who should be revered and respected as well as desired. Perhaps Gibson should be credited for contributing to the women's movement by creating illustrations that would help ease men's fears about their wives becoming their perceived equals.
The work that left an impact on me outside of the classroom discussion was that of Charles Dana Gibson. He was the creator of the first American pin-up girl. He also established the prototype of the square-jawed man, which lasted all throughout the mid-1900's. Even by feminist standards, Gibson portrayed the American woman in a light that exerted agency, power, intelligence, and control. Some of his work involves women being intellectually respected by men, especially in the image where men are crowded around one woman during what seems to be an intellectual discourse, actually trying to hear her opinions. I both appreciate and admire Gibson's effort to challenge the image of the American woman's role and take a semi-activist role in his time. It only irks me slightly that the role of the woman is only thought of in a less demeaning light when a white male says so- but I am appreciative of his efforts nonetheless. His other drawings carried a sense of comedic flair which I also enjoyed, especially in those pertaining to relationships and the dynamics between man and woman on a romantic level.
Some of the images that stuck with me the most from last week were the political and medical graphics. The master of political cartooning, Thomas Nast, made me think of when I was little and would sit on my grandpa's lap and read the New Yorker and have him explain the political cartoons inside. Seeing the work of the true political cartoonist master really made me think about the origin of political satire and social commentary that I was ingesting at a young age with my grandpa. Having a much wider political and philosophical lens today made me see the cultural importance and depth to which these graphics go. In addition, the medical advertisements were also interesting, simply in the sense that we have made such exponential developments since these graphics first began, both in design and also medicine. The heroin graphic was especially eye opening, especially because our society is so affected and influenced by consumer media that I'm sure those graphics resonated with people and moved them to seek "medical" help though, what are now, illicit drugs. Both the political and medical design work were innately innovative for the time, but looking back now in retrospect, have been embedded into our consumer culture and society at a wide-reaching level. A level we are, most of the time, blind to and tuned out of. This made me think namely of the most recent presidential election and the use of targeted Facebook advertising as a political campaigning method. A method that won our president the election of 2016.
Good afternoon, I was sick last week and wasn't able to be in class, but I did look over what you all talked about and this is what I found most interesting from the last lesson. I enjoyed how in the early 1900's they incorporated type as the main form of some designs. With its dynamic composition and decorative elements, the posters didn't need much imagery because the type was decorative enough. This was extremely effective considering the types of products and shows they were advertising. The bold fonts grabbed people's attention as they were walking down the street and captivated them enough to be interested in the product. The biggest fonts were the most important information and it was easy to read, so it was an effective method. As someone who studies type and printmaking, I found this most interesting. In this day and age, we use these types of fonts to harken back to the old days.The large, bold fonts also reminded me of the typefaces that scribes used to use in their own writings.
oandra Pearson
The previous post is Sondra Pearson's.
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