Final Thoughts

For twelve weeks, I reflected on my thoughts, observations, researches, and questions in the form of field journals and submitted them onto my blog. Throughout the quarter, the textbook, Megg’s History of Graphic Design by Phillip B. Meggs and Alston W. Purvis, has guided me through prehistoric visual communications to the Gutenberg press to the philosophy of the Bauhaus group up until the latest technological advances, all of which have affected early and contemporary graphic designers.

The course “GID 01- History of Graphic Design” for the 2014 fall quarter required me to post my findings weekly for others to read and for me to explore my fellow classmates’ reflections. Besides absorbing a great amount of information every week, I investigated and questioned topics that the book briefly mentioned or topics that sparked my own curiosity. Often times, I was left impressed and inspired after reading my classmates’ field journals and that motivated me to improve week after week.

Here are all ten of my field journals, from the beginning to the end of my journey of graphic design from around the world.  

meggiele.blogger.com

I've always known I wanted to pursue a career within the arts but I didn't know what specifically. It wasn't until high school in which I was set in graphic design and later on package design. People were impressed that I had a major set in mind, but when they asked, “Well, what is graphic design?” 

I was set aback and muttered, “Graphic design? Um… everything??” 

Little did I know, I was right! Reading the online lectures and the textbook solidified my answer; design is everywhere in our daily lives and affects everything produced by humans. Every week I was astounded on how much material the textbook packed in each chapter and I continuously made connections to the modern world. By taking this course, I have developed an appreciation for the simplest items in life: books, printers, posters, icons, maps, and magazines. All of these items have come a long way since early humans used stone tablets to track records and to see how far the world has evolved made me realize the significance of graphic design. I wouldn't say I am more sensitive to design (not yet anyways), but I do admit that I appreciate the craftsmanship into the creation of work made by graphic designers and spend more time and effort analyzing the choice of fonts, color, sizing, space, symbolism, and logos.

Taking this course has also given me more assurance and confidence about my decision to become a graphic designer. Before, I wasn't sure what jobs I would be able to find once I am out of school, but now I have learned about the endless possibilities and opportunities for graphic designers. Nowadays, I don’t worry as much about my future and I am even more determined and optimistic to get into Cal Poly SLO’s graphic design program. As history repeats itself, there will always be a demand of good design and good design can ultimately change the way people perceive certain products and events, evoke emotions, help organizations and businesses attract attention. I can also think of graphic design as a reflection of our society and that graphic designers capture the unique traits of their time. Or I could become a designer who infuses elements of expressionism to contribute to grow awareness of social issues I am deeply passionate about like the lack human rights in North Korea or the skewed perception of beauty in South Korea. Or I could continue with my interest in package design and work with marketers and advertisers to make a product “pop” from its competition. If anything, I know I’m on the right path and I will continue to study graphic design wherever it takes me.

Though I have learned a lot about the world of graphic design and I will undoubtedly take my knowledge to other graphic design courses with me, I also learned to value my own capabilities. I remember on my second field journal, I didn't earn full credit and Mr. Manske commented how insightful my research was but it lacked my own opinions and thoughts. I remember staring at my computer screen at the middle of the night and re-read the comment over and over. I have always been terribly shy since middle school and I struggle to participate and to raise my hand in class because I have always assumed 1) my thoughts and opinions weren't important enough to share and 2) my comments wouldn't change anything. Being in an online environment has helped me to slowly gain confidence in sharing my opinions and expressing myself to my own classmates, something I wouldn't have ever done in a regular classroom setting. Each week I worked diligently to show my best work to my professor and classmates and became eager to read responses and comments. Reading some of my past field journals, I was surprised to find out how much I have contributed to the class. I am proud that I am in a learning environment in which everyone’s opinions matters and is heard and now I know to apply this thinking into the real world and to give input in group projects, class discussions, and in everyday problems.      

I will take everything I have learned here and take these lessons with my wherever I go. I have spent long Tuesday nights typing up mini-essays, weeks of synthesizing and storing information from reading in my head, days brainstorming what topic to cover in my field journal, nights proofreading my work before submitting them, and hours flipping back to the book and lectures while taking the online quizzes. Nevertheless, the experience was worthwhile and I will miss the weekly routines once I submit this into my journal.  So I thank Mr. Manske for pushing us to prioritize our opinions and to share them and I thank the students who have read my journals, offered thoughtful feedback,  helped me view the world in a different perspective.

Field Journal 10: Wild Plakken

Dutch graphic design cannot be easily defined. Like yin and yang, opposites can be found in Dutch graphic design; "typography and image, institutions and individuality, rules and anarchy, and art and application" (Typotheque). Due to looser regulations, graphic designers in the Netherlands were free to print material compared to their neighbors. And with less boundaries, Dutch designers were able to control what they printed and how they printed.

One of the collaborative groups that emerged from in the second half of the 20th century was Wild Plakken. Formed by three designers, Wild Plakken's main objective was to create posters that would elicit social or political change. Though the textbook didn't explicitly state this, I believe that Wild Plakken's art direction, as experimental as it was, was more on the lines of expressionism. Demonstrating a strong sense of emotion like previous expressionists, this group didn't rely on depicting the horrors and tragedies of their causes like abortion, racism, or gay rights but instead chose to use open texts and everyday images and collage them in a way for people to give their own interpretations. By doing so, Wild Plakken's posters were able to stand out in a sea of conventional print advertising with processed pictures and captured the rawness of the subject to seem more relatable and realistic.  

1984, Wild Plakken, Europe Free of Nuclear Arms,
Progressive Green Coalition

Besides the group's methods for creating posters, I was a bit shocked to learn that Wild Plakken accepted or rejected commissions based on the designer's and client's stance on issues and views. And it makes sense. How can a designer handle a commission that went against his or her's ideas and morals? Some might call it unprofessional and unrealistic for a group or company to survive constantly accepting and rejecting clients, but I admire how passionate designers at Wild Plakken were; it's either all or nothing. You can't fake passion or emotion, so what's the point? Though I don't do work regarding social issues (yet!), when I find myself making projects for any subject, I either give in my all or nothing at all. I realize how detrimental it is, but I hate the idea of forcing myself to do a "good job" on something I don't have any emotions or concrete stances on. But then I feel an adrenaline rush when I do find projects interesting or assignments that agree with my ideas and I can hit a home run. 

 

And here's another thing that strikes me about Wild Plakken; by choosing which commissions to work on, there's a sense of power shifted to graphic designers. Designers have the ability to effectively communicate to people through typography, images, collages, technology, drawings, packaging, and billboards and clients realized that. The content or the messages can be delivered, but graphic designers should be selective and consider which messages to be sent. By this time, graphic design was taken seriously and more institutions taught aspiring designers how to incorporate their studies into the real world and ultimately how to make significant contributions to the world of art and society itself. 

Sources:

https://www.typotheque.com/articles/official_anarchy_dutch_graphic_design

http://www.moma.org/collection//browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A7632&page_number=1&template_id=1&sort_order=1

Field Journal 9: Japanese Modern

Astro-Boy by Osamu Tezuka

After immediately surrendering to the Axis Powers in 1945, Japan was left in devastation. Michio Hayashi, author of Tracing the Graphic in Postwar Japanese Art, notes that, "the city [of Tokyo] was undergoing rapid transformations" as General Douglas A. MacArthur led the country to military, political, social, and economic reforms between 1945 to 1952. The Japanese economy revived thanks to "increases in capital and labor, reallocation of labor from agriculture, improved technology, and economies of the scale" (Edward F. Denison and William K. Chung). As the country demobilized, companies that produced weapons and materials towards the war began to produce more technology that would be better suited for the new Japan, the Japan that was rising out from its ashes. 

Increased labor allowed Japan to produce more goods to export to countries like the U.S. and graphic design was needed more than ever. Emerging as one of the world's major industrial powers, Japanese companies like Toyota and Mitsubishi hired professional designers to completely change its branding and image. Aside from industrial products, everything being produced from the country including traditional crafts and food depended on design as more people payed attention to it during the 50s due to materialism. While American and European graphic design was largely influenced by the International Typographic Style during this time, Japan graphic design turned to Constructivism while still retaining traditional Japanese Art Theory. Delicate, flat lines and silhouettes, simplification, abstraction, flat colors, symmetrical composition, and decorative patterns from ukiyo-e were still being used Japan as designers blended tradition with new art forms outside of Japan.

Yusaku Kamekura, 1955. Poster for a photo exhibition.

Yusaku Kamekura, one of the first graphic designers coming out of this century, is hailed as the "Father of Japanese graphic design". Having studied in New York, Kamekura's posters are influenced by the Bauhas and Constructivism while still maintaining simplicity and balance found in traditional Japanese prints.

Overtime Japanese graphic designers changed their styles from traditional to futuristic. With a booming economy and a rising tech industry, there was a lot of speculation and endless possibilities of what else could happen for the country next. Designers couldn't wait any longer and drew their own visions of the future. Instead of flatness, dimension was explored and dynamic colors were used to communicate excitement and energy. Reading a little about this in the lecture immediately made me think about Astro-Boy, the popular manga and anime series from 1952. And this makes sense and further supports that design was reaching to all aspects of life, from the automobile industry to food packaging to cartoons. Design was crucial to bring Japan back into power and eventually helped maintained Japan's strong and steady economy. But most importantly, design helped the world forget about the atrocities committed by and done to Japan and allowed everyone to move on.

Sources:

 Michio Hayashi, Tracing the Graphic in Postwar Japanese Art

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/japan-reconstruction

http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/30974/donald-s-zagoria/how-japans-economy-grew-so-fast-the-sources-of-postwar-expansion

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1032864/graphic-design/242775/Postwar-graphic-design-in-Japan

http://pinktentacle.com/2010/03/yusaku-kamekura-posters/

http://www.iun.edu/~hisdcl/h207_2002/jecontakeoff.htm

Field Journal 8: The New Olympics

Some people are die-hard sports fans. Actually that's an understatement; expectations were shattered when 219 million people tuned in for the 2012 London Olympics, an increase from the 215 million views for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Social media was frequently updating which country won gold and which had the most handsome diver. Then there's people like me who didn't bother to check scores or who weren't interested in the whole spectacle. Though I didn't glue my eyes to my T.V. for 17 straight days, I'll confidently answer to people what I remembered; the logo and the graphics.

From left to right: Rio 2016, Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, London 2012, Seoul 1988, and Barcelona 1992

The Olympics didn't always start off with emphasis on branding and graphic design. Steps started off small, but overtime graphic designers rapidly worked together to achieve unity and diversity. The textbook nicely summed up how each game from each country worked towards building a graphic system that would later help create an identity program. As time passed, graphic designers learned from the mistakes and successes of others and they were all fighting for good design that would effectively communicate to the world of their home countries' traditions, values, and history.
But how did graphic design affect the 2012 London Games? And how did the 2012 London Games affect graphic design?

Pictograms

Logo

Well for starters, responses from critics and the public were mixed. Some newspapers in London praised Wolff Olins (company in charge of the branding) for their new and fresh take on the branding whereas many others attacked them for making something so sloppy and messy. Designers screamed in horror as soon as they saw this "logo disaster" and people were demanding the company for answers.
Far different from what we saw from Beijing, a simplistic logo that mimics brush strokes and worked together beautifully in harmony, the London logo has nothing that was related to London's iconic landmarks. The pictograms were understandable nevertheless, but how did these bright colors relate? Chairman and managing director from Wolff Olins clarified and knew what was coming at them. They broke the rules and people didn't like that. They drifted away from getting inspiration from London's most well-known places and tradition and embraced the new London. Social media was popular and it was obvious the branding company felt compelled to include that in the 2012 Olympics. So they embraced the creative, modern energy that was undergoing in London, the enthusiasm from the youth who were caught up with Youtube and Facebook, and invited graphic design students from Chapman University to help them with branding. The colors were lively and the logo consisted of sharp, unpredictable lines that reflected the new London society. Additionally, both teams decided to do the unexpected and for the first time in history, the Paralympic Games would use the same brand, only with different variations of colors.

Paralympic Games Logo

Wolff Olins was surprised to hear such heated remarks about 2012 brand and logo, but it didn't backfire them either as this was the most watched Olympics and television event of 2012. So maybe this wasn't a complete disaster after all. Like past Olympic branding, the 2012 branding wanted set itself a part from others and wanted to be remembered. But unlike what the world has seen in the past, Wolff Olins encouraged their teams to break the rules and be different. And breaking the rules, as we've seen in our textbook over and over, will always pay off.

sources:
http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/08/13/london-olympics-on-nbc-is-most-watched-television-event-in-u-s-history/144780/
http://www.designboom.com/design/london-olympics-2012-the-look-of-the-games/
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670429/the-surprisingly-smart-strategy-behind-london-s-infamous-olympic-branding#6
youthdesigner.com

Field Journal 7: Siren Song

Siren Song by Margaret Atwood

This is the one song everyone

would like to learn: the song

that is irresistible:

the song that forces men

to leap overboard in squadrons

even though they see the beached skulls

the song nobody knows

because anyone who has heard it

is dead, and the others can’t remember.

Shall I tell you the secret

and if I do, will you get me

out of this bird suit?

I don’t enjoy it here

squatting on this island

looking picturesque and mythical

with these two feathery maniacs,

I don’t enjoy singing

this trio, fatal and valuable.

I will tell the secret to you,

to you, only to you.

Come closer. This song

is a cry for help: Help me!

Only you, only you can,

you are unique

at last. Alas

it is a boring song

but it works every time.

This poem blows my mind every time I read it. To sum it up in the shortest way possible, after finishing the poem, the reader is left in a daze and realizes the trap has been set. The narrator is the siren, pleading for you, the reader, to rescue her. The reader can't help but to continue until the last line. Then it's too late, the reader is doomed for the siren has already lured you in. 

I read this in my literature class from high school last year and I was astounded how masterful Atwood utilizes meter, rhythm, and imagery to capture her readers.  I always appreciate artists who take the extra mile to make their work less exclusive and allow anyone to participate. Art has been, for the longest of time, accessible to  the upper and wealthy classes. The working middle class did not have the time or luxury to appreciate art. In the early to mid 1900s, however, art was trying to target as many people, from all backgrounds of life to take part in discussions and to be open to change. 

Piet Zwart, NFK catalog

From the Netherlands, Dutch designer Piet Zwart received no formal training in printing or typography. Zwart knew what appealed to him, Dadism and De Stijl, and he was determined to break some the rules that many professionals thought were unthinkable. Most importantly, however, he "had a strong sense of social responsibility and concern for the reader" and was determined to effectively communicate to large audiences (Meggs & Purvis, 342). He took into the consideration of their busy lives and knew well that fewer words would leave a bigger impact. No confusion, no trouble. Zwart knew how to successfully leave an imprint in the mind by introducing large, bold letters, diagonal lines, large center images, and eye-catching colors. He lured in readers in NFK catalogs and people under his spell were released as soon as he became interested in teaching and industrial interior design in 1933.       

Both Atwood and Zwart have effectively and successfully communicated to large audiences and remain to be relevant in their separate fields. Though art is a form of self-expression, both artists used art as a mean to break the fourth dimension to invite and entice readers. No longer a past time for the rich, art was expanding its borders. It takes someone talented to communicate through paper, but it takes someone great to lure in and trap people with a few words and images. This same concept is what marketing and advertising teams are doing to lure in potential customers every time we see ads on our Facebook walls. Now, artists and working alongside psychologists and sociologists to come up with the best plan to create a deep impression on consumers' minds. Nothing is simple as it used to be anymore; now everything from the background colors to the scenes are carefully executed to achieve the best results. Everyone in the art and advertising industry tries to grab attention, but only few are lucky enough to have a siren of their own.

Sources: 
http://www.iconofgraphics.com/piet-zwart/
http://poemelf.com/category/poems/siren-song/
Meggs & Purvis, Meggs' History of Graphic Design, 5th ed. 

Field Journal 6: The Long Lasting Impact left by Expressionism and Kollwitz

Discussed briefly in chapter 13, Expressionism emerged in the early 1900's as a reaction against realism in art. Expressionists weren't satisfied with real depictions of scenery and figures, so they supported for an art movement that would clearly exhibit their inner most feelings that were often unsettling, disturbing, or sometimes grotesque. Often exaggerated in vivid colors, Expressionism's main purpose was to demonstrate a strong sense of emotion. Beginning in the early 20th century, Europe was modernizing as "new technologies and massive urbanization efforts altered the individual's worldview" (Justin Wolf, Art Story). Artists captured how people were being psychologically impacted by society by focusing on feelings. The first notable example of Expressionism arose from Norway by Edvard Munch who painted The Scream (1893). Justin Wolf notes that Munch got inspiration for this painting from the "conflict between spirituality and modernity".

One of the first expressionists to use art as a mean to direct attention on social issues was German-born Schmidt Kollwitz. Kollwitz was the voice of the poverty stricken, the sick, and the suffering when the German government offered little to no aid. Later on she held exhibitions of lithographs, ethchings (using metal plates like copper to make prints, but the design is marked by acid) across Germany portraying the hardships of poor weavers rebelling against industrial textile mills. Her works were favorable to the eyes of judges, artists, and the as she won numerous awards and honors. She became the first woman elected in the Prussian Academy, but was later expelled for his beliefs and artwork. Then when Hitler came into power Kollwitz was forced to stop exhibiting her work as they were labeled as "degenerate".

Kathe Schmidt Kollwitz, Poverty, 1893

Expressionism did not just stop there at the 20th century, the movement still continues to be seen in ads and art to this day. Artists today don't necessarily have to use the same techniques expressionists used like curves, swirling shapes, vivid colors, exaggerated effects, distortions, or bold lines. Many foundations and organizations employ photographers and designers to create messages that depict the harsh realities of people starving in third-world countries to child sex workers to neglected animals. Raising awareness and gaining donations for these organizations is mainly possible through the work of designers who decided what to display on posters that will evoke readers the most. Like Kollwitz and expressionists, designers are willing to show unpleasant and shocking images of humanity to elicit a response. But nowadays, I feel as if designers will do almost anything to make a statement as I turn my face away from the grotesque images of thin, poor children piercing into my soul with their large, empty eyes. Lush, a company that prides itself in making safe bath and beauty products through ethical ingredients, have done street demonstrations reenacting an animal testing beauty products on a woman (who was voluntarily) wearing a nude body suit with a rope tied around her neck going through some of the pain and torture lab animals go through for a whole 10 hours. Certainly a level above what expressionists had dreamed of, right?

One of my favorite designers who uses his art to create meaningful works that help the poor and suffering is Jeseok Yi. In an interview with Print Magazine, Yi states,

"Honing my knife to be the world's sharpest means nothing without defining its purpose. What will be the final influence of my work on mankind? Making type look perfectly great and doing Photoshop like a machine is not everything." 

 What makes Yi's ads different others is that his doesn't use gory or rated-R images to get his message across viewers; all of Yi's works aren't exaggerated and use images we're used to seeing. Though simple, his works are clever and straight to the point. I highly recommend anyone to google a few of this other works because I couldn't pick a favorite!

What goes around comes around anti-war campaign, wrapping poster #1. Global Coalition for Peace, 2009

Art has always been more than just "drawing pretty things". Some professionals offer their skills in drawing, photography, or design (or all three) to make a difference in the lives of those who rarely have a chance to speak about their injustices. From Thomas Nast to Kollwitz to modern designers like Yi, we see that a picture can influence society, spark discussions, and make change that benefits humanity.

Sources:
The Art Story, http://www.theartstory.org/movement-expressionism.htm
Woman in Art, Kathe Kollwitz, http://www.mystudios.com/women/klmno/kollwitz.html
Kathe Kollwitz, http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Kathe_Schmidt_Kollwitz.aspx
Print Magazine, http://www.printmag.com/imprint/2011-nva-winner-jeseok-yi/

Field Journal 5: Early Stages of Advertising in Posters

Chapters 11 and 12 moves away from Victorian Art and towards a more free and fantasy-like art form glorified in Art Nouveau (1890-1910). Artists were no longer bounded by limitations and were able to create unique type styles not previously seen before as print was dominated by wood and metal type faces and were able to include color in posters and artwork to stimulate and evoke senses and feelings toward their messages. Different forms and styles were born during this period from Alphonse Mucha's works screamed mysticism and sensuality while Jules Cheret's designs were distinguishable by being simple and carefree. 

Marcello Dudovich, Biter Campari Poster, 1901. Red is an intense choice as it arouses love, sex, and danger. This bold color choice forces people to notice and remember the brand.

Magazines, books, and advertising posters played an immense role spreading Art Noveau internationally. Advertising posters, particularity, had the most profound effect on spreading this movement to countries across Europe. France's 1881 law allowed posters to be displayed anywhere except on churches, voting areas, or near official notices. As a result, artists, printers, and afficheurs prospered from the law and were able to show the public posters of all sizes. Artists were more willing to work in advertising as it was similar to posting up art pieces in a fine art gallery.

As more artists joined in making posters, they had to differentiate themselves from one another and had to create unique and distinct works as their signature trademarks. They were encouraged to branch out and be more expressive. Photography was used, but posters and art of the Art Noveau focused on drawings. When marketing and advertising wasn't enough, art was incorporated to sell products. Henri de Toulous Lautrec's posters were mainly for events held the Moulin Rouge, dance halls, plays, and other forms of entertainment. His use of flat planes, simple shapes that replaced objects, silhouettes, and positioning of his figures encouraged others to break out of the mold and experiment. Jules Cheret fused his bright, lively Cherettes to lure in crowds and spectators to the Champs-Élysées and to create hype for household products. French women looked up to the Cherettes for they were defining the new and different roles for modern women. Alphonse Mucha's muses could be found on covers of fashion magazine and posters for French actress Eugene Grasset. His works led to an appreciation of organic shapes and beauty of the female form that's still seen today. At the height of Art Noveau, art wasn't just included in ads and posters for the sake of having visuals for the products; most of the time, art was selling excitement, sensuality, dreams, hopes, and fantasy.

In the 21st century, advertising's main goal is still the same as it was during Art Noveau-- to sell a fantasy to consumers. Compared to earlier times, advertisements today are usually done with photography. But there are still brands were switch back and forth between photography and art such as paintings to sell. Ever since I started watching Mad Men, I've been fascinated by advertising and how the unity between marketing and art comes into play. One advertisement that has been catching my attention is tequila brand, Patrón. I don't drink, but as soon as I saw the advertisement in magazines, I was sucked in. Usually the brand shoots a sleek and high quality picture of its bottles, but this time they decided to go back to square one and hire an artist (there's also commercials of the artist using different strokes to get the final results, I was also captivated!) to paint their famous bottle. It reminded me a lot of the posters from Art Noveau as it deters away from the use of photography. Companies nowadays have the freedom to either go "old school" or embrace modern technology, so why would Patrón's marketing and advertising team come up with this idea? To differentiate itself from its numerous competitors and label themselves as "original", "timeless", "professionals for decades", and "old fashioned, but still has the same great and high quality taste as it first came out".

Advertisements exist on and off print, but the core essence has always remained the same. It wasn't until the Art Noveau period in which artists, marketers, and advertisers, had to rely on creativity to create an impact in the industry. Not only that, but the art movement blown into an abundance of different ideas and approaches that was never seen before.  

Sources: 

http://www.brandingmagazine.com/2013/09/25/patron-tequila-simply-perfect/

Megg's History of Graphic Design, Philip B. Meggs, Alston W. Purvis

Field Journal 4: When Art Threatens Politics

Boss Tweed and the Tweed Ring by Thomas Nast. 1871.

             Before Thomas Nast used political cartoons to direct America’s attention to social and political injustices between 1869 and 1871, William “Boss” Tweed, leader of Tammany Hall, was extorting millions from the city of New York for a decade.  

New York City experienced an influx of two million immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, so slums were built to provide them homes. Ideally, the slums were built as temporary homes and the immigrants would move out of the city and the state, but New York continued to grow and remain crowded. Originally, Tammany Hall was an organization created with intentions of helping these immigrants with food, clothing, and jobs.  

When Tweed joined the organization, Tammany Hall changed and became a political machine, an organization that gave social and services in exchange for votes. Political machines main goals were to get their own members into official spots in city government and then use corruption to make leaders of the organization wealthy. Tweed had already established himself by doing charity work as fireman, so it was easy for him to rise into power in Tammany Hall. Immigrants were sent out on election day and Tweed was voted as city alderman in 1851. The following year he was elected into the U.S. House of Reps.

Elected into office, Tweed constantly bribed officials and bought votes to bring his men into office. Soon New York City (NYC) was run by a corruption ring who exploited immigrants, businesses, and workers. The mayor of NYC was simply a puppet while Tweed and his men pulled the strings. Laws and legislation was passed to prevent anyone else outside of Tweed and his “Tweed Ring” from opposing how much money was spent on the city. With an increase of inhabitants and more damaged or worn out public goods, NYC had a lot of repair. Tweed decided to create his own companies and forced the city to hire them. As a result, the amount of money being spent was all sent to Tweed and his ring. Police, judges and journalists couldn’t confront Tweed because they were either bribed or intimidated to speak up. Votes were still pouring in to keep him in office since Irish, Dutch, and Scottish gangs were loyal to Tweed threatened anyone who voted otherwise.

The amount Tweed stole from the city is unclear as it ranges from $25 million to $45 million to even a hefty sum of $200 million.   

After being praised by President Lincoln for his Civil War drawings, Nast created symbols such as the Republican elephant and the Democratic Donkey to illustrate his messages more clearly and directly to his audience. Harper’s Weekly was widely read as publication of the journal increased and prices decreased, making it attainable for the middle-class.  

         

Using his influence, Nast broke out of the silence and brought attention to Tweed by portraying him as a “thief, a convict or an enormous glutton.” Tweed tried to silence Harper’s Weekly and Nast with money, but they both refused and continued to run the political cartoons. As a member of the Democratic Party, Tweed was bringing in unnecessary press and damaging the party’s reputation; members wanted him and the Tweed Ring out of office. After his arrest, Tweed managed to escape prison and fled to Cuba then Spain. How was he recaptured? Someone recognized Tweed from one of Nast’s cartoons.

As Tweed said, voters didn't bother to read but it doesn't take a long time to read a cartoon. Tweed feared the power and influence of the political cartoon and it ultimately brought him to his arrest. Political cartoons and the symbols created by Nast still continue to be relevant in print and online. Art and entertainment, which has previously been reserved for the rich, has throughout the years to reach everyone. But how much of influence does art and entertainment still has over politics to this day?

 

Left: Fey Right: Palin

During the 2012 presidential elections, Tina Fey of SNL did multiple impersonations of Sarah Palin. While SNL is based on satire, many people don't spend their time watching actual interviews of the presidential and vice president nominees and choose to get their intake of politics from entertainment. A political science professor of University of Missouri agrees, "The perception is that there’s an audience that cites its primary news source as predominantly entertainment shows and, if valid, this certainly would have an impact on the presidential election." Tina Fey's most memorable line while impersonating Palin was, "I could see Russia from my house!" and many people thought it was actually Palin making the statement. My economics and government teacher from high school is baffled how many people actually mistakened the comedienne as the politician and has repeatedly tried to correct his friends and colleagues. Though many people do or don't believe my teacher, it was already clear: entertainment has damaged the reputations of Palin and a long list of politicians who are portrayed as "uncool", "lame", "clumsy" (Chevy Chase, anyone?), or just downright unintelligent. While the entertainment industry continued to mock her, a study revealed that younger viewers thought Palin wasn't suitable to be V.P. 

          Now politics have to keep up a good image on screen for the press and for late night comedy shows like the Daily Show with Jon Stewart for the sake of making a good impression on young adults and everyone else who is easily swayed by the media. From the past to the present, art and entertainment  proves to be a double ended sword for the world of politics and remains to be influential in society.  

Sources: 

http://www.fasttrackteaching.com/burns/Unit_4_Cities/U4_Tammany_Hall_NYC.html

http://agilewriter.com/Biography/BossTweed.htm

http://www.gothamgazette.com/index.php/government/2878-boss-tweed

http://www.psmag.com/navigation/politics-and-law/was-sarah-palins-image-hurt-by-tina-fey-you-betcha-40288/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/21/saturday-night-live-political-skits_n_1901761.html

Field Journal 3: Ars Moriendi et Propaganda

Death is inevitable; so many of us accept it and try not to fixate over it. Then there are the Egyptians who lived by their Book of the Dead in hopes of embarking on a smooth transition from the world of the living to the afterlife.

Wide-spread fear of the Apocalypse reached out to audiences through Beatus’ Commentary of Beatus of the Apocalypse of Saint John the Devine in 776 C.E. As we previously read in chapter 4, different interpretations of the end of the world forced people to prepare for their last moments. This was a time when literacy was beginning to spread out of churches and evidently, information reached out everyone through reading.

During the 14^th century, over 25 million people were wiped out from the bubonic plague and as a result the fear of sudden death was instilled in people’s minds ever since. A sign of relief came in the form of a block book 23 pages long filled with descriptive images and text about confronting death calmly. Much like the Book of the Dead, Ars Moriendi (Art of Death) was created to ease the never-ending thought of death. However, two versions of the book were issued by the Church. The first was written for teaching priests specific prayers and rites whereas the second (the one we’re examining) contains illustrations of the “temptation of the devil and the comfort of the angel on subjects such as faith, impatience, vainglory, and the final hour of death” (Meggs and Purvise, 91).

The Church issued this manual for good intentions as it did ease fear, but as the textbook states, this was one of the first accounts of printed propaganda. The manual covered topics such as acceptable behaviors around the dying to helping those who sought redemption. Church goers took these instructions seriously and adhered to them. But how is this considered propaganda?

Propaganda (noun) - information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

Ars Monrienda is an early example of how successful print propaganda can be thanks to the invention of the printing press, the understanding of typography, and the efforts and contributions from knowledge-hungry artists, designers, cutters, writers, illuminators, calligraphers, carpenters, scribes, book binders, guilders, sponsors and printers. That's a mouthful. 

But it did not just end there; the Renaissance brought an influx of ideas based on humanism, science, and art. And from these ideas, our knowledge and perception expanded. Propaganda also gradually evolved into posters, signs, advertisements, and then multi media. Nowadays we are surrounded by countless propaganda from a politician’s ad campaign to protest signs for higher wages for fast food workers. No longer do we have to depend on print media, anyone can post his or her idea within a click of a button. Anyone can produce anything without having to spend a decade's worth of apprenticeship. It seems like there's always a Renaissance in a modern day sense since people are inherently curious and eager to discover something new. Plus with technology, it's easier than ever to get our point across a continent away.      

Meggs and Purvis accurately sum up the medieval lifestyle in one sentence: “Medieval Christianity fostered a belief that the value of a human life was primarily its effect on God’s judgment after death” (102). Compared to today, people were constantly occupying themselves with the idea of death. Centuries after, individual ideas and beliefs changed the way people question about religion and death. We have proof and science. We have more interpretations than ever before. And how did that all happen? Books and text. We live in a day and age of #YOLO (I cringed as I type) and selfies to document almost every aspect of our lives on a daily basis. We want the latest gadgets, need to be updated, and never waste a moment living in the NOW. Many believe that print is dead, but more magazines and newspapers are continuing to transmit information through tablets. Though we can't touch any actual paper through screens, the art of typography still exists and it will continue to improve over time in all forms of art and propaganda. Civilization has made great leaps and discoveries, and it all started with the invention of printing. 

Field Journal 2: Empress Shotuku and 1 Million Daranis

           Reading about Mesopotamia, Egypt, Suma, Greek, Rome, Ireland, China, Japan, and Korea (there’s so many more countries and civilizations but these came to the top of my head!) made me appreciate the written language we use today and the extent our ancestors have made to the create organized guidelines and rules.

What really fascinated me was chapter 3 The Asian Contribution, specifically in the section “The discovery of printing”.  I was tempted to research about the art and detail that goes into Chinese calligraphy, but I realized it’s pretty popular among some of my classmate’s blogs after I scanned at a few. Fortunately, I was also drawn to the historical allusion to Japanese empress Shotoku’s desperate attempt to save her and her people from a smallpox outbreak.

A WOMAN? IN HISTORY?? That's a first.

Also known as Empress Koken, Empress Shotoku was born on 718 in the city of Nara and was famous to be the last empress of Japan until the 17^th century. She resembled her mother Komyo by being independent and strong-minded and so much to the point she gave her Buddhist monk lover “the highest position [in government] ever held by a commoner” (The Cambridge History of Japan Vol. 1, Delmer M. Brown). Her and her mother both built nunneries and temples all throughout Japan. It was believed that Buddhism would protect Japan from natural disasters and that religion would prevent another famine from 644. Shotoku gained full control of the country after she defeats a rebellion led by her cousin against her and sentences him to his death.

During Shotoku’s second reign, she focused on building a loyal and devoted council of Buddhist priests and placed restrictions such as limiting the amount of land non-Buddhists and aristocrats can privately own. By allowing temples to own as much land as they want and not restricting them, Shotoku was encouraging Japan to embrace Buddhism and was planning to make it the state’s permanent religion (Shinto was fervently practiced and worshipped).

Before the smallpox plague that killed her, Shotoku had survived a smallpox plague 30 years prior and first handedly witnessed the nobles around her die. Her devotion to Buddhism was an attempt to avoid another outbreak, so she took matters into her own hands and ordered the printing of 1 million dharanis or prayer charms around the year 761.  

One of the last remaining originals from 770

Japan already had used block printing, but the amount exceeded and shocked people’s expectations, so the dharanis weren’t completed until 770. At the age of 53, Shotoku falls ill and dies from smallpox.

Shotoku’s dharanis were placed in temples and is recorded as one of the oldest printed works in the world. In this particular example, the dharanis were printed a metal-plate method. To this day some of the dharanis like the one above can still be found hung on a pagoda or in museums. 

Empress Shotoku was not seen in a favorable light during most of her reigns for her rash actions and eccentric personality overshadowed her achievements to promote a new religion that still exists and practiced in modern day Japan. Her first reign as empress of Japan was described at chaotic and unconventional, but Shotoku managed to calm down during her second reign and tried to restore a sense of balance and tranquility to appease and protect her citizens. Though many could argue how unfit of a ruler Shotoku was, it is difficult to discredit her once we see and learn about the enormous effort it to look over and carry out the large scale printing and her contribution to the world of print.  

Sources: 

The Cambridge History of Japan Vol. 1, Delmer M. Brown

Japan: A Country Study by Ronald E. Dolan and Robert L. Worden,

Princeton University Library Chronicle Vol. XLVIII by Marks, Patricia H. 

Uppity Women of Medival Times by Vicki Leon

Field Journal 1

So I'm a total history junkie. My favorite class in middle school and high school has always been history whereas art and language fought for second place. There's lots of things I don't know about, but I take my time and buy books and autobiographies from thrift stores to learn about the Khmer Rouge and other aspects my U.S. history classes never covered. With that being said, this is the first class I'm taking that involves both history and graphic design. As soon as I got my hands on the textbook (physical, I don't do well with e-books), I flipped through each page and stared at the pictures. I was pleasantly surprised to find Henri Toulouse's "Au Moulin Rouge" in the text because 1) I have the poster hung up in my room and 2) I took four years of French in high school and mes professors integrated French history, culture, and of course the language into our studies.Toulouse's artwork holds a special place in my heart and it evokes memories of French class, the class where we were taught to appreciate the language as well as having fun in the process. A few two hundred and sixty pages later, I was tired and gave myself breaks before I continued. Then I encountered the covers of Esquire, Seventeen, and Bazaar and my interests were suddenly peaked again. I read magazines today and it's interesting how they first started out and comparing the past to the present. I thought to myself, "Maybe this wouldn't be so painful and boring after all". Going back and forth between Megg's and my stats books made glad that I'm taking a course another course I know I'll learn and enjoy.