Critical Currents

What Metahaven fails to realize is that Experimental Jetset views modernism as more of a rebellious  and substance using type of generation.   Because the (Metahavens) are so used to their culture in Dutch Land they do not look to see it any other way when it comes to conceptualizing modernism.    In order to progress to different forms we have to be fluid and have an understanding of modernism and not base it on un-related circumstances. I can agree more with what Experimental Jetset and their views of modernism.  

For the thesis statement I plan to explain how the reader should read my ultimately finished proposal.  In order for the reader to understand the concept behind the added words or the taking away of words to certain parts of the excerpts I have chosen to manipulate, I go into a little detail to properly explain how the reader will read what is being given. My content list will compile of five pages  one being the intro  and the others consisting of several excerpts from the Graphic Design : Now in Production book from class.  I also included one of my peers' response to one of the assignments which I found to be very useful to add to the cohesiveness of the overall piece.  The excerpts you see before you were al the ones I could find that would flow together equally with respect to the topic of entrepreneurship and the generation it is headed in.  I chose this topic simply because I feel it to be closely related to myself and what it is I am trying to achieve for myself.  And in doing so I did exactly what I did for the Ellen Lupton assignment.  The only difference is there is no handwriting done in this piece.  It is all done with different typesets.  I also decided to add a little flavor and dimension to the piece by adding some design pieces directly from the book as part of the backgrounds for each page.

The abstraction art movement was in part, a response to the political turmoil of the world post World War II. Modernist abstraction (via German/Swiss Bauhaus movements) stems from a similar response from the artist community to the notion of the capitalistic American dream, as exemplified through the mysterious circle logo of the Germs. It’s a break from the constrictions of what has been the status quo, and to develop a movement free from obvious associations. While postmodernism tries to completely break from the past, Owens argues looking back upon the sociological times and its associated culture can lead to new breakthroughs in design. A similar musical movement to the punks could be minimal techno. While others scramble for the easy electro beats of David Guetta or Afrojack, minimal techno goes against the norm to present delectable beats with or without cheesy vocals, and present an underground lifestyle associated with the genre, much like punk. Richie Hawtin’s Minus record label has a similar graphic aesthetic to the Germs’ logo: a minus (-) sign. In their case, they are perhaps graphically associating themselves with the minimal artists of the 60s, like Dan Flavin, Sol Lewitt etc. Graphics Incognito goes against the traditional format of graphic design and basic human instinct: to mark one’s territory, and owning it. The head designer of a major fashion label often becomes the face of the brand – Karl Lagerfeld is an undeniable, creeping presence at Chanel, and Marc Jacobs is just about everywhere. However labels like Maison Martin Margiela (design team’s names are kept secret) achieve similar iconic status without the cult of personality, and even smaller, up and coming brands like KTHANKSBYE operate under a secretive guise. Graphic incognitos present a focus on their work rather than who they are – and it should be their talent for design that draws their audience, not their personality.

Clay Shirky makes a very important point on the long-term sociological impacts of the Internet on the print industry: “from a world of ‘filter, then publish’…to ‘publish, then filter.’ It’s a mentality that has deeply impacted the quality of information online, as it’s pretty much free to post anything on the Internet. While there are many pros of having an online rather than a print presence (i.e. its very cost effective, and one can argue it has a wider audience), there is an undeniable pleasurable feeling of holding a tangible print in one’s hands to truly appreciate the work an artist has put into it. Digital is the more “convenient” of the two, however there is a reason why print has never died. Although photography has been greatly digitized, they are still printed, rather than trapped in a floating online space. Prints still make money for artists, and a special limited edition megabook of a famous artist will bring in more capital than a digital campaign. “Mass amateurization” is a result of the easy access that the digital realm can provide an up and coming designer, writer or artist. Because of the increasing numbers of different digital devices and our constant dependence on them, the publishing industry has no choice but to adapt. Books have become available to read on iPads, Nook, Kindles and other tablets, as well as major newspapers like the New York Times who have their own apps. Today, if you are a magazine with any kind of impact in the publishing world, it’s imperative to have an app. To not have at least an iPad app results in loss of audience. Even the little things, like printing your airline ticket is considered obsolete, as you can show your confirmation number on your phone through email.

The variations is what is interesting. The variation of the standard modernist design. All combination and variation are possible, so is everything then modernist design? 

Personally, I agree with Experimental Jetset's interpretation of modernism. I don't agree with Metahaven's characterization that modernism is a rigid style that must be adhered to in a specific way. Experimental Jetset has a more fluid and alternative understanding to modernism and I feel that re-interpretation is important if something is to progress from its current form.

One example of an contemporary design incognito that I can think of is Maison Martin Margiela Haute Couture Diamond Mask that was in the A/W12 presentation of the collection.

Metahaven and Experimental Jetset both have different views on modernism. Metahaven says “We regard your whole approach as a proper meme, as you seem to have created a viable compression of certain modernist tropes that propagate into contemporary visual culture, comment on it, and demarcate a clear position.” Meaning that he believes that Jetset he just sticks to one thing and that his whole visual culture is governed by material objects. He also brings down Jetset work by saying that the most successful object hes made was the && T-Shirts and even that has be duplicated. Metahaven would like Jetset to regard this visual culture as one governed by material objects and that he should treat the objects like how “visual culture” treats them in return. Suggesting that he have more of a meaning behind is work as well. Metahaven says that Jetsets view on modernism needs to have more of an point behind it and that he is more concerned about its substance and how it looks than what message your trying to convey. He continues to talk about how modernism is not the same and how visual communication meant that you were trying to get your message or point across to the viewer. He feels that today companies redefine the meaning of the relationship to their audience. He uses an example of how Corporate ads are on facebook soliciting like and trying to gather visual social capital. Jetset talks about how the view on modernism is different. Meaning he has his own version of how modernism should be used or viewed. He gives an example of how there are many versions and how there is the italian version, american version, chinese version, and In other words, it’s all a matter of accents. He says “In other words, what interests us much more than the standard are the variations on that standard. And if “identity” is the way in which a particular object is similar to its own category (which is roughly how Adorno defines identity), then what we are personally interested in is exactly the “non-identity” that exists between the standard and its variation.” Meaning that if you identify something a certain way, thats your own way of viewing it,and if you go by how someone else identifies it, then it doesn’t really make it your own. I view Jetsets more sympathetic because I feel like hes trying to create something new and now what everyone else expects it to be.

The designer for Woodstock posters clearly exemplified the generation that was forming due to the  free flowing era of the 60's.  

Owens says that modernism exported to America through Bauhaus, which was a European movement that came around WW2. The movement in America took shape in the 1980s with the influence of a new cultural era that was personified in different mediums, especially in music. Abbot Miller style of geometric shapes from the Bauhaus school become adopted the corporate world. However, its original context was supposed to be for an egalitarian view point. Owens states that Graphics incognito, which is the title of the article, is exemplified the most in a Los Angeles punk rock band called Black Flag. They were early pioneers in the punk rock movement. The Black Flag bars are an example of immense abstraction. The drawings of the band's flyers showed modernism in its purest form. It shows that Punk Rock and modernism go hand in hand. The music was about creating something abstract through sound and to portray it with some type of message that made you think to interpet. It was almost like chaos. In terms of design, modernism can be described in the same vain. It's about abstract elements that seem to be chaotic and not have any clear meaning when you lok at it. However, at close inspection you realize that everything has meaning and that the randomness and abstraction are in itself meaningful. Another example from a different platform is Muriel Cooper, who contributed to the application of modernism in several ways. One was with The Bauhaus  a periodical in which the font, grid structure and photos exemplified modernism. She also contributed with the MIT Press logo, which like Black Flag was an abstraction. Owens says that abstraction in the early 1980s was not an example of early modernism but was a return of the initial impulses of modernism. The early hardcore abstractions that were personified in culture were not so much the beginning of the movement or it's point of origin. It was a bridge that connected it with other points int he history of graphic design. It helps us move forwards in creating new amalgamations of modernism and to preserve what has already come before.

Owens starts by saying that new design can only be successfully achieved through looking at the past and he especially emphasizes the work of artists in the graffiti and punk world. He talks about how the work was seen to be trendy in the 80’s when artists like Haring and Basquiat were the art world darlings. However, the genre has had staying power. He then begins to talk about how in the wake of the second world war, the Bahaus brought modernism to the United States. The emergence of punk in the 80’s brought a clash which brought about a new idea of modernism. Owen uses the term Graphic Incognito to describe a style of extreme abstraction and using art as a collaborative product without a clear author. Owen cites the Black Flag’s Bars Logo which we’re created by Raymond Pettibon, and were reproduces by the band creating an easily recognizable and cult fan icon. The bars served as a sort of icon for not only Black Flag fans but also of the underground punk scene as well. Self fashioning and promotion is a major component in Graphics Incognito. I think that bands are the ultimate purveyors of Graphics Incognito. Other older bands who I think we’re great examples of it were the Grateful Dead with numerous iconography including the Steal Your Face Logo and Dancing Bears and Terrapins. Likewise, the Rolling Stones have the iconic tongue and lip design, The Misfits Skull, and the Radiohead Modified Bear. Today there is less prevalence with extremely recognizable icons, instead most music artists use their own image to brand themselves which I guess could serve as it’s own form of Graphics Incognito. However, some current references who I think relate to Graphics Icognito are Andre the Giant for the OBEY Campaigns, The Kanye West Bear, The Wu Tang Clan abstract bird, Aphex Twin’s “Xylem Tube”, and HIM’s Heartagram.

Mark speaks on how the modernist abstraction can emerge in specific social conditions. He goes in to how it was in the 80s and how everyone in his class was given a copy of Paul Rands as a parting gift and ever since he found out the introduction to be troubled by the number of implicit ironies. That being that over the decade is punk and graffiti have been proven to be two of the most productive domains not only for graphic design, but for popular culture at large. He claims that more aggressive music like the breed of punk emerged from the suburbs. And for designers working in the “primitive”, non-mainstream,non-professional idioms a whole range of visual strategies were up for grabs, and certain modernist moves, especially graphic abstraction, were pressured into service in forming the collective visual language of underground music and culture. modernist abstraction as a function of the abstract power of money. A lot of the examples he talked about was album covers. The abstraction comes from something that you have already seen before, but considered its been shown a different way, you become more attracted to it because you already clicked with it before without really realizing it. An example he uses is the album's recording the blue circle and how it was already associated with the Gems and its lead singer. Crash had taken up the blue “circle one” as a potential symbol and was used a lot by band members. thwn, by the time the album cover was created the blue circle had already been shown throughout LA. A contemporary instance of “Graphics Incognito” would be Jayz and his hand sign that shows a triangle. A lot of other artist used it as well whether it was in their music, their videos, or clothes like Gaga, Pink Floyd, and Rihanna.But really that symbol came from a representation of the devil.

SInce I plan on making a motion graphics piece I intend on using some of the images posted throughout class that consist of typography of some sort and instead on me doing the crossing out of the words manually and turn it into something else I plan to manipulate the picture by visually having the typography float into something completely different from its original content. I will try to change the original writing into a caption said from one of us that relates to the piece and uses almost the exact same amount of lettering.  Up top are some of the image examples and as far as the text I am still going into much research to make this project possible.

The part of digital media that has been super configured would have to be the ability to use your senses to read the newspaper.  The technology that is being made using your touch for example to be able to turn a page from your couch is an incredible step into the futuristic world we are entering.  I saw this being a topic of discussion in an issue Forbes Magazine while I waited one morning at my doctors appointment and I was ecstatic to know that these incredible technological advances are soon to be real.