THEORY AS PRACTICE 2 - THEORY LECTURE

THEORY AS PRACTICE 2 - THEORY LECTURE

History of Graphic Design

Meggs History of Graphic Design (1985)

Phillip B Meggs’ book was the first time the words “History” and “Graphic Design” were used together. Steven Heller quoted “I thought this Meggs fellow had actually made history.” Meggs project is on going and there are a number of copies, Meggs actually died of Leukaemia in 2002 and Alston Purvis carried on the project. Meggs’ approach is ambitiously accomplishing.

Meggs’ project was an attempt to create a systematic graphic design history that did not depend on anecdotal reflection. It is a coming together of academia and professional practice and it places graphic design on the same level of other academic subjects. Meggs’ approach to the project is known to be ambitiously encompassing but also limited. For example the focus of the project is very Eurocentric later editions of the book address other continents. In contrast to this the newest addition of the book attempts to address the digital age.

Invention of Mark Making, Writing & Printing

• Lascaux: 15000 – 10000 BC
• Hittite Cylinder Seal: 1650BCC - 1200 BC
• Illuminated Manuscript: 500AD - 1000AD

The “Looking Closer” Series

This series of books essentially concerns the writings of graphic design critics/professionals. Examples of the looking closer series include…

Beatrice Warde: The Crystal Goblet, 1930 (Book 3)

Alice Twemlow: The Decimalisation of Ornament (Book 5)

Stephen Eskilson - Graphic Design: A New History (2007)

In this book the majority of the chapters are dedicated to the twentieth century and especially to modernism in all its variant forms. This book also stresses the importance of social context, Eskilson attempts to inject social context into graphic design history. An example of social context in graphic design is Art Deco and Colonialism, 1927. This social context attempted to convey a message of cultural improvement.