The Genesis of
Twentieth- Century Design
As
the nineteenth century came to a close, the twentieth century brought a new
life to the past Victorian designs.
Art nouveau changed the idea that designs from this period should be
copies of other forms from the past or from nature. The art nouveau designs
addressed many social, economic and cultural changes during the turn of the
century.
Artist
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect who began using organic designs in
many of his building designs, while inspiring many artists around the world. Other artists like Charles Rennie
Mackintosh also made notable contributions to art nouveau. Mackintosh focused
more on the design of objects and interiors. Yet, he focused on tall and thin
rectangular shapes in his works.
The
Vienna Secession began after a clash between tradition and the new ideas
movement in France. This was a countermovement to the floral art nouveau
designs that flourished across Europe. The Vienna Secession focused more on
flat shapes, greater simplicity in designs and included a hint of geometry. Yet
the art form deteriorated after 1910.
Peter
Behrens made many contributions to the typographic reform of the 19th
century. He was highly interested in the sans-serif designs in typography and created
many different typefaces. He used geometric forms and used grids that began
with geometric patterns as the basic structure. Behrens helped play an
important role in the creation of high-quality design in manufactured goods and
architecture. Behrens designed industrial products as well, and became known as
the first industrial designer.
These
simplistic designs had an impact on the design of the London Underground
railway system. With sans-serif typography and simple designs, the sign stood
out against all the urban clutter. The design was so successful, that it is
still used today.
The
change of design from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century broke the
mold of art nouveau and sparked new design directions that focused on personal
and social needs. These designs brought a new functionality to graphic design.
Mackintosh 1902
Behrens 1910
Behrens 1907
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