Assignment 11

The concept of mainstream vs. underground is relevant in contemporary design because in contemporary design there is a combination of underground ideals that also incorporates mainstream ideals. By this, the merging of both creates the ability to innovate something modern in the present day. It allows every technique. It does challenge traditional ideals but it does reflect on the current times. The designer that I would be discussing is Paula Scher and her Public Theater poster designs. Her style reflects Victorian and Constructivist ideals. Constructivism was underground to an extent. According to Underground vs. Mainstream Cultural Production-, “For instance, movements such as the Russian avant gardists and Dadaists were the result of direct opposite circumstances, specifically state revolution and world war.” (Arzenšek 39)

 By this, the style of Constructivism or any art movement were known to be underground based on their strong opposition towards mainstream ideals. Further, as stated “From the very beginning, we can argue that these movements didn’t stand a chance in retaining their “underground” status, since they were appealing to the dissatisfied masses.”(Arzenšek 39) In other words, the avant garde movements such as Constructivism that was once known to be “underground” became “mainstream”. Due to the fact that it attracted many people who already opposed the mainstream ideals that existed. As for Paula Scher and her Public Theater posters. They were meant to attract New Yorkers in a new way by shouting with type. It was meant in some way to attract not just “underground” people but “mainstream” as well. 

According to Street Theater, “I want to take populist culture and elevate it, and bring elitist culture to a populist level.” (Heller) In this case, bring all kinds of people to the Public Theater “an in-your-face-unity.”(Heller) Scher’s Public Theater posters are meant to bring unity and to design a language that brings everyone together but also create a new visual palette for the Public Theater. The underground ideals of Constructivism that lead to mainstream commonality is that it “focus on the underground as both a material and metaphorical space of movement, diversity, encounter, refuge, and political action”.(Linder, Hussey 18) Overall, the poster designs are meant to “present The Public as a dynamic but quite human institution with programs that are appealing to many different publics”(Heller), and the posters indeed reflect those themes.

CITATIONS:

Arzenšek, Martin, and Dr. Arjo Klamer. “UNDERGROUND VS. MAINSTREAM CULTURAL PRODUCTION- VALORIZING THE UNDERGROUND AND ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH ON UNDERGROUND ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC MOVEMENT.” Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, June 2016, p. 39, https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/34609/Arzensek.pdf.

Heller, Steven. “Street Theater.” vol. Vol. 50, no. Issue 3, 1995, p29. EBSCO Host, http://web.b.ebscohost.com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=59d80cd1-32ff-4beb-b8c0-3dc97c79676f%40pdc-v-sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=9609220725&db=a9h.

Linder, Christoph, and Andrew Hussey. “Concepts and Practices of the Underground.” Essays on Cultural Resistance, Subversion, and Diversion, p. 18. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wp6td.5.