The Art Nouveau vs. the Psychedelic design

As we had discussed, design is the way to communicate. To understand clearly, we should know the starting point of the Art Nouveau design style from the turn of the 20th century and the Psychedelic design style of the 1960’s.

First, the Art Nouveau developed during the two decades (1880-1910) that girded the turn of the century. This is the transition from the historicism of the 19th century to the invention of new form with innovation.

In the Art Nouveau design, everything became elegance grace with vine tendrils, flowers, birds (particularly peacocks) and female form. It usually used decorative pattern and ornament.

Art Nouveau graphic designers attempted to make art a part of everyday life. As a result, they created something composition in contour line, black and white shape and a dichotomy of philosophy, lifestyle as well as a social values. The Art Nouveau piece usually had the swirling forms, the flat color, stylized organic contour and decorative patterns. Artist typically used capital letters for their writing and using Gothic and Roman font (I guest). Although it is difficult to read if using Gothic font, the font is consistent with the swirling and curve forms.

It was also influenced the Japanese decorative design and Ukiyo-e (“picture of the floating world”).

This is the time to abstract take form.

If Art Nouveau was toward art and printing, psychedelic design is about public, civil right movement.

The Psychedelic design was seen as solving problems of communication. This period diversified more by cultural and political factors than by these pressures of technical change. Reaction to the Vietnam War, social protest, the Cuban revolution, the women’s liberation movement, mass culture and the use of hallucinatory drugs are all graphic expression. Music is played a main role create the wave of this kind of design; hippie, rock and roll and rock. This kind of loud music brought the freedom environment for artist. As in the poster of Quicksilver Messenger Service concert poster in 1967 below.

The color is brighter, softer and become contrast. But it remained the sinuous curves of art nouveau. This kind of poster (influenced by art nouveau) is illegibility (because letter become image) while protest using clearer and simple font.

At that time, I think photography became the weapon to protest against War because this is the best way to show the truth. For example with Vietnam War protest poster 1970. It showed the massacred Vietnam villagers with a short question and answer, “Q. And babies? A. And babies.”

Today, I think it back to using curve and something romance; for example, Nokia Lamour advertising and the style of Vault49 company (http://vault49.com/). Moreover, this is also a time for something strong, enthusiasm and brisk. Depend on what theme we chose; there are many ways to using color such as contrast and flat, and font for us to create.

References:

• Hollis, Richard, (2002), Graphic Design
• B.Meggs, Philip (1998), A history of Graphic Design