The historical knowledge of graphic design is crucial for visual communication design pursuers. In this paper, I would like to introduce two significant design periods: Constructivism and Bauhaus briefly through my investigation.
Originally, the term “Graphic Design” only appeared after the rise of printing in the Industrial Revolution. Throughout time, numerous design movements were born and overlapped with each other with various notable artists/designers.
One of the earliest movements is Constructivism. In the early twentieth century, many long-established orders were upturned because of the Revolution in Russia in 1917, which led to a shift from Monarchy to Socialism. Following this event, new mindsets arose, from politics to mathematics and also arts and design. Influenced by debates and development in physics and non-Euclidean geometry, Constructivism was born. Artists used shapes, forms, and spaces imbued with the spirit of revolution to create their artistic premises and used that as the voice for the people. They wanted to separate themselves from the old tradition which then was no longer suitable, in particular, Decorative Expressive arts were strongly rejected, and they were trying to create a new ‘visual language’ that could be understood by all. Their main characteristic was the use of photomontages with minimal color palettes, popular was red which could be interpreted as the symbol of revolution, and passion. Besides that, diagonals, and dramatic and jarring aesthetics were also their typical features, with the political style becoming an overarching style – in many areas of visual communications – becoming popularized.
Bauhaus was born in a similar period as Constructivism. Founded in 1919 in Weimar by Walter Gropius, Bauhaus was created as an art and craftsmanship school in which art, design, architecture, and craftsmanship were combined. The institution emerged from the particular circumstances of the postwar era, amid worries about the dehumanizing nature of contemporary industry and the declining societal significance of art. The Bauhaus sought to create useful things that had the essence of artwork by bringing together exquisite art and practical design. They used materials like concrete, steel, and glass, and embraced geometric shapes, clean lines, and simplicity, frequently leaving them exposed to highlight inherent characteristics. As a result, their designs were rational, minimalist, and often had an industrial aesthetic. The closure of this movement in 1933 under Nazi pressure did not diminish its major impact on 20th-century design philosophy and aesthetics, as key individuals continued to shape the relationship between art, society, and technology in Europe and the United States.
Cite: : Bannister, Floris (2012) “Revolutions in Time, Space, and Art: Russian Constructivism,” UNIversitas: Journal of Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity: Vol. 7: No. 1, Article 5. Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/universitas/vol7/iss1/5
Before the Bauhaus: Architecture, Politics, and the German State, 1890-1920. John V. Maciuika
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