This has to be my favourite example of modernist design. It shows everything that it stands for, simplicity, clarity, it's visually stunning (although I must say I'm biased towards the movement).
Modernism really started to take off near the end of the 19th century and simmered around the beginning of the 20th century. In was initiated by the recent advancements in technology at the time. New processes came along, mass production became very easy to achieve, thus making the movement fresh and exciting, things were changing so fast and modernism had taken the front seat on a journey that would change how we see things for the better.
I have chosen to study Neue Grafik as it shows just how clear cut modernism could be. It included up-to-date reviews on international design, a modernists design bible if you will.
Heavily inspired by everything Swiss design stood for, it gives you a true sense of how rigorous the layouts really are. Everything is aligned by a grid, just by using common sense and a few lines makes it visually stunning. No beating around the bush, just straight forward, to the point design.
As its purpose was meant for reviewing the best and worst in current design, it doesn't deter the eye with overwhelming content, just an image and a piece of text arranged in a genius way, it's all that is needed to give it its unique yet stylish feel.
Emigre magazine cover (1988) (left) / Wet magazine cover (1979) (right)
Some say we're currently living in a postmodernist world, I myself think this isn't the case as you don't really see anything as extreme as the images above anymore.
When postmodernism came to light, it was meant to be almost like a rebellion towards the utopian world modernists desired, some might say it was a dilution to think the world could be so perfect.
The 70's/80's were the perfect era's to introduce this way of woking, as the rise of grunge and punk were settling in and this style seemed to fit perfectly within the current culture (as the images of the magazine's illustrates.).
To conclude, both movements were as strong as each other. They both merged to fit the current cultures of the time. You could almost say that postmodernism was a response to modernism and that if it wasn't for these movements we'd still be trapped in the tacky 1950's to this day.
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