There comes a point, in the study of any realm of art, and artistic communication, where you have to stop and say... HUH?!
And here, as out train ride through the Graphic Arts reaches the beginning of the 20th century, does your dear Conductor take pause to ask: 'Wait... What the Hell are they talking about?!"
The Bauhaus - originally Das Staatliche Bauhaus (State Home for Building) - was the German school of Design originally founded in Weimer; built from the foundations of the Weimar Arts and Crafts School and the Weimar Fine Arts Academy. Set forth in its manifesto, the school declared; "In rare moments of inspiration, transcending his conscious will, the grace of heaven may cause his work to blossom into art..."
In a nut shell, the Bauhaus movement sought a Utopia of spirit and design; the pinnacle of the path taken from the Art Nouveau period until that point. There was talk of the "exalted craftsman" and buildings as entities...
HUH?!
If you've ever endured a museum or gallery open, I think you may get what I'm getting at. Pouring on the concepts of meaningful composition, and compelling investigation of design unity and the expression of this or that political philosophy - or resistance against it, if you happen to be Jan "Is that Jack Boots I hear at my door" Tschichold.
In today's modern Graphic Design world, the main stay of those who work the trade aren't so much into trying to make geopolitical statements, or even seeking any sort of design/life/metaphysical unity of existence in communication. For the most part, those in the craft I know, and myself, are more interested in the practical side of design; creating an image for the client, and getting paid.
Now, don't get me wrong; there's something to be said in the creation of a branding image for a client - whether it's whipping up a color themed logo, or setting tone and voice to a product centric narrative. Yeah, that does take an understanding of basic technique, that might include the foundations of Bauhaus, or anything leading up to, or immediately after it. The concepts of color theory and design are, in that case, quite compelling. And, one could spend a great deal of time, and energy in pursuit of it.
But, let's face it; today's Graphic Designer wants to get paid. Well, maybe a little notoriety, too. But, for the most part, it's a practical business; we don't have time to trip out to concepts of regimes, inner turmoils, and the idea of spiritualism locked away in a typographical lay out. We're here to get some work done, earn some scratch, and maybe have a little fun.
But wait; that's what the world of today's Graphic Designer pretty much is. However, consider life for the German designer straddling that precarious time between two great global conflicts. The times leading up to, and through Art Nouveau and Victorian times and into the Bauhaus movement and Modern Movement in America were fraught with change, upheaval, and conflict. as much in the arts as communication, the tides were turning, and thematic expression - such as propaganda (As I talked about last week) were blending in a way not seen since even Gutenberg's time.
we may see an ad for sneakers, or perhaps a car, or other product or service, and identify it as a selling motif for a commercial culture or interest. But, in their time, Moholy-Nagy, Gyorgy Kepes, Herbert Bayer, and their contemporaries weren't just selling an image, they were conveying national pride, letting stride philosophy, and, at times, even striking out against repressive government movements.
Sure, maybe to us, today, these guys might sound like pretentious bastards; with their talk of design unity, spiritual Utopia's, and exalted craftsmen with planes of color, pictographic design iconography, and architectural entities. But the language of their time was fevered with change, nationalisms, and a world in and out of war.
I don't know about you, but that makes me want to spend just a little more time, at least, considering the impact of that curl in tail of my "e".
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