Postmodernism in Graphic Communication

The purpose of this paper is to talk about Postmodernism in graphic design communication, by giving some examples and explanations of this style.

Postmodernism is a movement away from the viewpoint of modernism, it resists the sense of modernism (Appignanesi, Garrat, Sardar, Curry, 2004, 4). The term “postmodernism” was first used around in the 1870’s. Generally, no definite terms, boundaries, or absolute truth exist in Postmodernity. Postmodernism possess no overall design or universal plan, resistant is to the totalisation or universalisation of international style, Postmodernism cannot be confined to any one specific country or even continent (Woods, 1999, 4; Eskilson, 2007, 336).

Postmodern style rejected the international style that modernism had. The style of the postmodern in graphic design, is based on mixing different type sizes and weights, overprinting, cluttered pages, blurred photographs, and many other things, a method associated with the ides of deconstraction.

The Postmodern movement opposed modernism rules (Baranard, 2005, 147).

Postmodernism designers concentrated on the outcome of the design instead of its content, using different colors, collage, photography and hand-drawn images. Postmodernity had a large influence in technology, graphic design started to be done on computers; designs were done in a more professional approach (Poynor, 2003, 149).

Here are some examples of the Postmodern  posters done by very famous designers. We can see that all the posters are done in the same point of view, no simplicity or clarity in the design, no restrictions or rules. In the poster designs the concentration is on the shape of the design how does it look to the viewer.

Talking about this poster design done by Wes Wilson, the flame-like red lettering seems to zigzag back and forth across the page, with the shape of each letter changing in order to fit into the available space (Eskilson, 2007, 338).The red letters seem to project from the cool green background (Eskilson, 2007, 338).

Wes Wilson, Captain Beefhart & His Magic Band, 1966. Poster. Color lithography.

The designer of this poster Katherine McCoy called this theory “typography as discourse,” the term “discourse” connoting the idea that the meaning of a work is part of a conversation between the text and image that “runs around,” and cannot be fixed to form stable result (Eskilson, 2007, 357).

Allen Hori, Typography as Discourse, 1989.

This poster looks at first glance like the sort of information design seen at airport or in the London Underground, as dotted lines seem to connect the words”read,” “see,” “text,” and ”image,” while color seems to creat a strong vertical axis down the middle of the poster(Eskilson, 2007, 358).

Katherine McCoy, The Graduate Program in Design, 1988.

The irregularly out shaped images of hand fish are in stark contrast to the strong geometric grid formed by the type (Eskilson, 2007, 358). The blurred shapes are filled in with collaged photos, and on the back cover there is an additional layer as drawing, photos, and type fight for position (Eskilson, 2007, 358).

Neville Brody, The Last Testament, 1983.

In conclusion Postmodernism was a movement that rejected everything that modernism had. That rejected international rule that restricted the designers talent, and give them the possibility to use a variety of visual way to communicate their messages.


 

Bibliography:

Appignanesi, R., Garratt, C., Sardar, Z. & Curry, P. (2004). Introducing Postmodernism. United Kingdom: Icon Books Ltd.

Barnard, M. (2005). Graphic Design as Communication. New York: Routledge.

Eskilson, S. J. (2007). Graphic Design: A New History. London: Yale University Press.

Poynor, R. (2003). No More Rules: Graphic Design and Postmodernism. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Woods, T. (1999). Beginning Postmodernism. New York: Manchester University Press.