Modernism is a form of art that rejects traditional forms and elements and uses a systematic methods instead of intuitive ones. It uses geometric shapes, uses primary colours, uses sans serif typefaces, has an asymmetrical page layout, use of grid etc.
Tshihold was a German designer and typographer who was incredibly impactful. He used modernisms as a form of graphic design, who was arguably the most influential modern designer and typographer of the 20th century.
He was arrested by Nazis in 1933, and later fled to Switzerland where he started working as a book designer. He designer books for numerous German and Swiss books, including the famous Penguin books.
Jan also became heavily influenced by typography. His foray into Modernism, and then his return to Classicism highlighted his constant exploration into the “proper” use and application of type, grids, and overall design. Jan truly mastered the understanding of type, lettering and design which can be evident in his workings. His work was heavily influencial in the print industry in Europe and USA. Below is some of Jans Typography.
Degenerate art was a term used by the Nazi Party to describe art that did not support the idea of Nazism. During the WW11, the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi resulted in the workings of any art that they did not like would be banished. Due to this rise in power systematic suppression of contemporary art quickly spread throughout Germany, becoming more and more popular. Some of the “degenerate” artists included Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kalinsky, Emil Nolde etc.
Due to this ebing a big issue there was a massive cultural shift to the USA, where artists, designers, archatects etc. could create their work without disruption. There was supposedly 717 artsist, 380 archetects and 100 graphic designers that moved from Europe/ Germany to the US.
The Ulm School of Design was a design school located in Germany, which was founded in 1953 by Inge Aicher-Scholl, Otl Aicher, and Max Bill, until the closing in 1968. The school aimed to create a different approach to design education, by partenring craftsmanship with a social and political understanding of design's role in society. The school had 3 main focuses, industrial design, visual communication and product design. The school also used a more modern approach when teaching. This school was a major part of the rise in development of the field of design and its integration with industry.
Notable faculty members at the Ulm School of Design included Max Bill, Hans Gugelot, and Tomas Maldonado. The school's curriculum and approach to design had a significant influence on design education and practice worldwide.
One of the most notable members from the Ulm School was Otl Aicher. He had a significant influence on design, one of his most famous workings was the design for the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. As we can see below his designs were simple but effective, this was an iconic design for the olympics and was used worldwide.
