Late Modern
1945-1970
The Late Modern period was greatly
effected by society around it.
It was influenced by many different people,
places, and happenings of it’s time.
Late Modern is...
simple
functional
informal
organic and geometric
elegant
minimal
cultural
witty
powerful
Influences
Christian Dior
a fashion designer
with a NEW look
Dior
more Dior designs
Television
•
the NEW television
brought a new
approach to the way
things were viewed by
masses. Design was
easier widespread.
Mini Skirts:
The mini-skirt is a simple portrayal of the changing of
times. People were more comfortable to their bodies
and the bodies around them. We begin to be more
open-minded.
Frank Loyd
Wright
Wright was a Late Modern
architect who was very
knowledgeable to form and
function. He also paid close
attention to nature and to work
with, not against it.
Frank Loyd Wright’s Architecture
More Wright
The Bauhaus still was a huge part of
the design process of this period. This
school was the place to be, and all
that came from it was the design
standard.
Bauhaus Cesca Chair:
This was a fairly simple chair that is of perfect design.
It’s timeless. How many of these have you seen?
New York City
NYC was the place to
be of this time. It’s
culture takes off.
Art.
Architecture.
Design.
Fashion.
Theater.
You had to be in New
York.
New York, New York
Madison Avenue was the Center of the Cultural Universe
current
Madison
Ave Shopfront.
Invention!
A new design invention– Mechanical Boards,
allowed designers to cut type, images and “glue”
them down essentially creating the first of all
layers.
Typography
The most important part of design
gets it’s voice first heard.
Conceptual type is also born.
Examples of
conceptual type.
These are someone’s
initials that they
would use for a logo,
etc.
Avant Garde:
this is a new
typeface that
greatly shows the
Late Modern
design.
Designers
The Late Modern period had
many amazing influential designers.
Here are just a few.
Saul Bass
-known for movie titles
-first Hollywood movie
campaign
(logo, poster, ad, title, credits)
-Corporate logos
-graphic elements
-simple powerful pictographs
Saul Bass and his work.
Movie Posters
Saul Bass was known for his
AMAZING logos. Many of which are
still used today. He had his own style
that many current designers try to
reproduce.
Recognize this man?
yeah...it’s a Saul Bass design
Raymond
Loewy
-purely geometric design
-simple typography
Raymond Loewy Designs
(notice the similarity between the coke machine and the
pencil sharpener!)
Paul Rand
-unique, witty, simple
-collages, photo-gram, cutouts
-revolutionized the way words
and type went together.
-“Intelligent” designer for
intelligent audience
influenced generations of
designers.
famous pictogram by Paul Rand
a few paul rand logos...
Alexy
Brodovitch
-Art Director for Harpers
Bazaar 1934-1958
known for extreme cropping
and amazing typographical
skills
example of cropping and
Alexy’s work
Lester Beall
Self-taught designer
Beall’s symbolic logos
Symbolic designs
by Lester Beall
Herb Lubalin
typographer
“the type genious of his time”
created Avant Garde
use of type as design
famous Loubalin Logo
another typeface he created
Jan
Tschichold
“The New Typographer”
Tschichold
Typedesign Examples
References:
Meggs, Philip B and Alston W. Purvis. Meggs’ History of
Graphic Design. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006.
Paul Rand: Pioneer of Design. Communication Arts.
Magazine. March/April 1999.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rand
http://www.designmuseum.org/design/saul-bass
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/medalist-herblubalin
http://www.designmuseum.org/design/christian-dior