Ethical aesthetics
By Charlotte & Peter Fiell. Excerpt from the book Contemporary Graphic Design
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Understanding the technology used by designers does not, however, explain their motives for designing. For many, if not most, of the designers included in this publication, graphic design is not simply a job but a way of life and a source of identity. A significant number weave intellectual ambitions and agendas into their work, most commonly reflected in a left-leaning political outlook and a desire to highlight ethical and environmental concerns. In this regard, graphic designers are alert to the powerful tools of persuasion at their disposal. The same skills that can market fizzy drinks and soap powder can also be employed to change public attitudes on a whole raft of issues, be it sweat-shop labour, environmental destruction, unfair trade practices, gender-discrimination or the war-fueling greed for oil. One of the most high profile graphic-designers-with-principles, Jonathan Barnbrook, declares his motivation to be, "an inner anger which is a response to all the unfairness that is in this world". His highly politicized work has conscientiously sought to challenge capitalist structures, and is as thought provoking as it is visually stimulating. Similarly, in the last few years, the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) has begun to see its mission as promoting socially responsible design, rather than the reputations of individual designers. In a recent statement the Institute acknowledged that, "In today's world, complex problems are usually those defined by a complex context. And increasingly, as noted in the Kyoto protocols, the Johannesburg conference on sustainable development, the global tensions surrounding cultural terrorism or revulsion, and a stumbling of economic growth, the context involves economic, environmental and cultural dimensions". Consistent with these sentiments, the AIGA has begun sponsoring a number of ethically-driven initiatives, such as The Urban Forest Project in New York's Times Square (October 2006). Importantly, the web now allows for a greater dissemination of this type of work among communities of likeminded people, and graphic designers increasingly understand their role as providing a vital interface between high politics and public consciousness.
It is not surprising that this generation-weaned on MTV, grunge and skateboarding -has a very different approach to media production than its predecessors
Political and commercial developments, and the extraordinary power of the web, have also recast the geographical and cultural configuration of graphic design. The integration of former Eastern Bloc countries and China into global cultural and business networks has been highly influential. This survey features designers from Russia, Slovenia, Hong Kong and Turkey, alongside work from countries more traditionally associated with avantgarde graphic design practice, namely Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Holland and France.
Page [1] [2] [3] [4]
Page [1] [2] [3] [4]
Understanding the technology used by designers does not, however, explain their motives for designing. For many, if not most, of the designers included in this publication, graphic design is not simply a job but a way of life and a source of identity. A significant number weave intellectual ambitions and agendas into their work, most commonly reflected in a left-leaning political outlook and a desire to highlight ethical and environmental concerns. In this regard, graphic designers are alert to the powerful tools of persuasion at their disposal. The same skills that can market fizzy drinks and soap powder can also be employed to change public attitudes on a whole raft of issues, be it sweat-shop labour, environmental destruction, unfair trade practices, gender-discrimination or the war-fueling greed for oil. One of the most high profile graphic-designers-with-principles, Jonathan Barnbrook, declares his motivation to be, "an inner anger which is a response to all the unfairness that is in this world". His highly politicized work has conscientiously sought to challenge capitalist structures, and is as thought provoking as it is visually stimulating. Similarly, in the last few years, the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) has begun to see its mission as promoting socially responsible design, rather than the reputations of individual designers. In a recent statement the Institute acknowledged that, "In today's world, complex problems are usually those defined by a complex context. And increasingly, as noted in the Kyoto protocols, the Johannesburg conference on sustainable development, the global tensions surrounding cultural terrorism or revulsion, and a stumbling of economic growth, the context involves economic, environmental and cultural dimensions". Consistent with these sentiments, the AIGA has begun sponsoring a number of ethically-driven initiatives, such as The Urban Forest Project in New York's Times Square (October 2006). Importantly, the web now allows for a greater dissemination of this type of work among communities of likeminded people, and graphic designers increasingly understand their role as providing a vital interface between high politics and public consciousness.
It is not surprising that this generation-weaned on MTV, grunge and skateboarding -has a very different approach to media production than its predecessors
Political and commercial developments, and the extraordinary power of the web, have also recast the geographical and cultural configuration of graphic design. The integration of former Eastern Bloc countries and China into global cultural and business networks has been highly influential. This survey features designers from Russia, Slovenia, Hong Kong and Turkey, alongside work from countries more traditionally associated with avantgarde graphic design practice, namely Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Holland and France.
Page [1] [2] [3] [4]
Contemporary Graphic Design
Hardcover, 19.6 x 24.9 cm (7.7 x 9.8 in.), 560 pages
$ 39.99
$ 39.99
Packing a powerful visual punch: contemporary avant-garde graphic design
Aylin Önel, Project: "The 2924th. KM", visual poem created for fashion page, 2005 (photographer: Melisa Önel). Client: Trendsetter magazine