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/