Day Fifteen: After Class

The topic for class was chapter 14, Pictorial Modernism.

Victoria presented and I thought she did a good job explaining what the modern advertisement posters looked like during this time; they were very simple, with only the addition of a few colors, the object being advertised, and easy-to-read text. The background usually only consisted of a flat color plane. The whole idea of the simplicity was to easily grab the attention of viewers and make sure they would also be able to quickly identify the company of the product. I always think of the McDonald's logo; it's very simple, and most everyone knows what it stands for. Bernhard was a man mentioned, and Victoria went over some important moments in his life. He became interested in colors after seeing an interior decorating exhibition, so he went home and decorated his house without permission. He got in trouble, left home, eventually entered a poster contest for a company that sold matches, and then became a well-known designer. During the time of World War I, posters were commonly used for propaganda purposes and to win the support of society. There was a difference between the posters of the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary) and the Allies (U.S., Britian, France, Russia). The Central Powers created posters integrated words and images in order to communicate powerfully, and the Allies created illustrations of families and the home because they wanted to protect the traditional values, the home and the family.

The most useful thing I learned was how to better distinguish the pictorial modernism posters, and how they influenced today's posters. They were very simple; intricate designs were not necessary. The text was bold and very easy to read. A very simplified image of the product being sold was placed in the poster with a plain, single color background; the viewer could easily see what was being advertised. We played pictionary--a great hands-on activity--to help us understand how simple, yet identifiable the posters had to be created.

Unlike the Allies, why didn't the Central Powers focus on protecting the family values and the home?
Did Bernard ever contact his family, or did his family contact him, after he left?