American Kitsch 1940-1960

 Poster for British movie "Fiend without a Face" directed by Arthur Crabtree in 1958, artist unknown.
sourced from www.fridaynightboys300.blogspot

This poster is a good example of those produced for B-movies in the 1950s. The exaggerated facial expressions, the sexy girl and the fascination with sci-fi horror are all elements of this design period. The hand drawn type used for the title is equally dramatic and this was often used in advertising. The simple colour scheme of red with a minty green is typically 1950s.

"Girl at Mirror" by Norman Rockwell for The Saturday Evening Post in 1954.
sourced from www.best-norman-rockwell-art.com

This artist had a very idealised view of 1950s America, and many of the covers he did for The Evening Post reflect this viewpoint. He often used children as his subjects in a typical American setting. This painting shows a wistful young girl comparing herself to the magazine ideal of the 50s (it looks like its Jane Russell, so he had a wry sense of humour!) Many American men at the time wanted to revert back to a traditional life after the war, with housewives and perfectly adorable children to come home to.


I like this type of design because it is quite witty and cartoonish. It feels fun and youthful.

Art Deco 1925-1940

"Vichy Comite de Fetes" poster created by Roger Broders in the 1920s
sourced from overstock.com

This vibrant poster is typical art deco with its elegant subjects shown in profile at an exclusive soiree in France. These posters were basically an enticement to travel and implied a life of luxury. The oriental lanterns show an interest in other cultures which was piqued by the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs in Paris in 1925 and the Ballet Russes from 1909-1929.
The fashion and hairstyles are also true to the time period, with many women sporting bobbed hair and streamlined clothing. The flat colours and simply drawn objects are also typical of this time.








The Chrysler building in New York, built in 1926-30.
sourced from answers.com

This beautiful building has classic art deco features in its streamlined geometric outline and the interesting sunburst rays incorporated at its summit. Although decorative, the building has clean lines and symmetry making its overall look elegant. It was built at the height of the Art Deco period, when luxury and expense were encouraged.

I love this era in design because of the lifestyle it projects, one of glamour, luxury and elegance. Art and everyday objects were imbued with all these elements, which made it a great time for design. The symmetry and streamlined shapes are pleasing to the eye, especially in architecture and furniture design.

Early Modernism 1910-1935

Poster created by the Stenberg brothers, Vladimir and Georgii in 1925.
sourced from martinklasch.blogspot.com

This image has a modern look to it because of the simple colour combination of red, blue and white with accents of black. The image is drawn with an extreme perspective and tilted axis typical of the time. The font used is also simple, sanserif and integrated into the picture. The subject matter is reminiscent of wartime, which would have struck a chord with the audience seeing this poster.

"The Persistence of Memory" painted by Salvador Dali in 1931.
sourced from philipcoppens.com

Later in the period artists like Dali explored surrealism and cubism in abstract forms. This painting conveys some of the anguish and despair felt in this time by many people recovering from war. The limited colour palette and the distorted asymmetrical composition show this as part of the early modern genre.

Although I find much of the art from this period to be quite confronting and tortured, I like the way artists used new perspectives and experimental ways to combine images into a whole piece. The images from this time still look modern and innovative now and I enjoy the underlying humour in many of the graphic posters.