Islam Mahrouss February 25

Art can come in so many forms and can be expressed in so many ways. However most importantly it is about an individual’s self expression. Reading “Walter Gropius; The Theory and Organization of the Bauhaus”, I saw how the Bauhaus reshaped art and creativity. Many  artists were trained in fine arts or architecture but many of them did not go into those fields after they finished their education because according to Gropius, “Unequipped to function successfully in the struggle for existence, they found themselves numbered among the social drones, useless, by virtue of their schooling, in the productive life of the nation”. The Bahuaus focused on not only creativity but also the industry that surrounds it and creating artists that can create that new industry one made for them. What I liked the most about reading this article is that I saw how students were free to create and express themselves outside of any art movement or trend. I also found this particular quote interesting, “Schooling alone can never produce art!What are the finished products is an exercise in ingenuity or a work of art depends on the talent of the individual who creates it”. I found this interesting because I thought that it was very relatable to art schools now. What we learn in school will help us be better designers but we also need talent and creativity.

As design and technology continue to evolve, new ways of creating art emerge. Inventions such as photography, printing, and movable typography have been incorporated with design to create a stronger and more impactful design. Reading,“László Moholy-Nagy; Typophoto ”, discusses the use of photography and typography.According to Moholy-Nagy, “Photography is the visual presentation of what can be optically apprehended. Typophoto is the visually most exact rendering of communication”.  Both of those elements combined together create a visual and informative design. The same thing can also be achieved with illustration as well as photography, but most importantly it’s the idea of the image and typography being a link to each other making the design and the message being communicated stronger. 

Although Moholy-Nagy showed us that typography and imagery are strong together, typography on its own is just as impactful. In, Herbert Bayer; On Typography, he discussed how typography itself can be a visual image. In a way typography is an illustration but with words. Its purpose is to communicate a message but how that message is communicated is based on how its designed.According to Bayer, “It is a fallacy to believe that styles can be created as easily and as often as fashion”. Typography is expressive and during the time Bayer was writing this reading type was being reinvented in a new and exciting way where it is modern, expressive, and it opened many new design opportunities.