Ethical aesthetics
By Charlotte & Peter Fiell. Excerpt from the book Contemporary Graphic Design
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One of the most startling characteristics of the designers featured here is their youth - with the vast majority belonging to Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980), with its post-baby-boom cynicism and love of irony. It is not surprising that this generation - weaned on MTV, grunge and skateboarding - has a very different approach to media production than its predecessors. Much of their work references youth culture and is used by companies to inject their products with the essential hip credibility. Interestingly, their thoughts, as revealed here, are noticeably self-reflective, referring back to their adolescent experiences - it is as though the teen in them has never really grown up. A recent phenomenon has also been the appearance of "viral marketing" as a way of tapping into the idealistic, optimistic, and flexible mindset of the still younger Generation Y (born between 1980 and 2000), or as it is sometimes known GenY. Even more resilient to traditional marketing techniques than its older brother, this grouping shows how the Internet has created a swing away from television and print advertising towards web-based community platforms (which are already being infiltrated using viral marketing techniques). To get their message across, today's graphic designers have to be evermore aware of the fast-moving currents of youth culture, which like its demographic, are characterized by short attention spans and a natural empathy for technology. In an attempt to engage the ever-shortening attention span of today's media-savvy-yet-weary audience, many media producers are increasingly using sexual imagery to sell all kinds of products. The problem is that like the games junkie who becomes anesthetized to violence, the audience of potential consumers becomes so jaded with titillation that images have to become more and more raunchy in order to create an impact. Regrettably while many of the graphic designers featured here have conscientiously labored to critique the iniquities of contemporary industrial society, much of today's media appears to be working just as energetically to extend its moral bankruptcy, sensationalism and celebrity worship.
If graphic design is to remain a vital force within the contemporary cultural landscape, its practitioners must take on board not only the plethora of new media platforms, but also the fact that it is indeed possible to be a successful graphic designer without selling your soul - and many of the designers selected for this survey are shining examples of this belief. They are prepared to respond to their new global responsibilities with work that is aesthetically and conceptually fresh.
Page [1] [2] [3] [4]
Page [1] [2] [3] [4]
One of the most startling characteristics of the designers featured here is their youth - with the vast majority belonging to Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980), with its post-baby-boom cynicism and love of irony. It is not surprising that this generation - weaned on MTV, grunge and skateboarding - has a very different approach to media production than its predecessors. Much of their work references youth culture and is used by companies to inject their products with the essential hip credibility. Interestingly, their thoughts, as revealed here, are noticeably self-reflective, referring back to their adolescent experiences - it is as though the teen in them has never really grown up. A recent phenomenon has also been the appearance of "viral marketing" as a way of tapping into the idealistic, optimistic, and flexible mindset of the still younger Generation Y (born between 1980 and 2000), or as it is sometimes known GenY. Even more resilient to traditional marketing techniques than its older brother, this grouping shows how the Internet has created a swing away from television and print advertising towards web-based community platforms (which are already being infiltrated using viral marketing techniques). To get their message across, today's graphic designers have to be evermore aware of the fast-moving currents of youth culture, which like its demographic, are characterized by short attention spans and a natural empathy for technology. In an attempt to engage the ever-shortening attention span of today's media-savvy-yet-weary audience, many media producers are increasingly using sexual imagery to sell all kinds of products. The problem is that like the games junkie who becomes anesthetized to violence, the audience of potential consumers becomes so jaded with titillation that images have to become more and more raunchy in order to create an impact. Regrettably while many of the graphic designers featured here have conscientiously labored to critique the iniquities of contemporary industrial society, much of today's media appears to be working just as energetically to extend its moral bankruptcy, sensationalism and celebrity worship.
If graphic design is to remain a vital force within the contemporary cultural landscape, its practitioners must take on board not only the plethora of new media platforms, but also the fact that it is indeed possible to be a successful graphic designer without selling your soul - and many of the designers selected for this survey are shining examples of this belief. They are prepared to respond to their new global responsibilities with work that is aesthetically and conceptually fresh.
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
Vladimir Dubko, Project: "Shine", magazine cover illustration, 2005. Client: Fashion Collection magazine