Category Archives: Poster&Graphic Art

HIGH DRAMA— DANGEROUSLY THRILLING MOMENTS IN VINTAGE GRAPHICS

                                  Harper’s Bazaar (March, 1940) A.M. CassandreFashion that was really edgy! Here we behold the business of exciting beauty coming up against the shadows of death-dealing military forces. Staying cool in face of the horror of the imminent Nazi Occupation, … Continue reading

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THE PROS ARE GETTING YOUNGER AND YOUNGER: TORONTO’S OCADU GRAD SHOW

One of the graphic design participants at last weekend’s Ontario College of Art and Design University grad show (quite a mouthful, but also quite a handful) was a bright and charming young woman with whom we spent a while expressing … Continue reading

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POSTERS AND PUBLICITY 1929—MORE AND MORE MARVELS

Extending beyond the delicious color priorities of the 1928 edition, the process here, in the production of one year later, applies itself to compositional matters. Here the poster for the Vienna Fair gives us a convening of stylized, streamlined ship, … Continue reading

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POSTERS & PUBLICITY 1928: A FEAST OF COLOR, AND INVENTION!

One of the great gift parcels, coming to us from the efforts of graphic design annuals, consists of chromatically rich lithographic renditions (on deluxe paper) of poster art, in the British series, Posters and Publicity. The instance here, by the … Continue reading

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LIFE AT SEA: NAUTICAL GRAPHICS THAT STAY ON COURSE!

                              Crociere Estate (1935) Gino Boccasile;11″ x 8 1/4″;B+,P There is something hard to describe but quite overwhelming about vintage graphics that capture the play of light on the high seas. The figure shown here could have caught some rays … Continue reading

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BIG AND BOLD: LARGE FORMAT CLASSIC POSTER ART

                   Deauville 1920s Jean-Gabriel Domergue;47 3/4″ x 64 3/4″;A, LOur commitment to small-format graphic design brilliance is unwavering; but we also know that voluminous graphic presence facilitates rewards unattainable by modest scale. Need a jump-start after a tangled day? How … Continue reading

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NO BUSINESS FOR OLD MEN–THE EFFERVESCENCE OF GEBRAUCHSGRAPHIK

There are many ways of fathoming and enjoying graphic design from that arresting era when lithography was the primary innovative medium. One quite marvellous way we have not until now considered is the phenomenon of deluxe periodicals whereby exponents of … Continue reading

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BLACK AND RED: NOT MERE COLORS!

At the outset of lithographic poster communications (in the 1890′s), an inspired French designer, Jules-Alexandre Grun, hit upon color cues to evoke the addictive verve and uncanniness of Belle Epoque Paris delights.

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“LET’S GO, BOYS!” GENTLEMEN IN ADVERTISING

Whereas promotional graphics featuring women tend to zero in on the physical and intentional presence of their person, with men it’s the scope of the activity that is (usually) paramount.

Posted in Art Deco Posters&Graphics, Modernist Posters&Graphics, Performance Art, Poster&Graphic Art, Poster&Graphic Artists | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

LADIES IN ADVERTISING

So often you’ll hear that advertising demeans women, that it tends to imply that they are mere physical entities with no more-elevated features. This seems a dynamite argument, until you stop to consider, “What’s wrong with physical riches?” Sure, calculative … Continue reading

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