Overview

For our next reading assignment, we will be reading and annotating two texts written by architect-designer-artists affiliated with the Bauhaus. And one contemporary essay about Bauhaus designers.

Due Date(s)

  • Your reading response is due the day before the next session.

Key Themes and Takeaways

Madeleine Morley; Master László Moholy-Nagy Saw Photoshop Coming, 90 Years Ahead of Time (2019)

The writer discusses the reconstructed 1929 exhibition curated by László Moholy-Nagy ‘Where is Typography Headed? at the Berlin’s Kunstbibliothek in 2019.

  • Moholy-Nagy anticipated how the aesthetics of communication would change in the future.
  • His exhibition outlined key ideas and approaches that influenced and defined the current graphic design field
  • During this time, advertising had begun to be taught in art schools, and Avant-Garde designers started embracing commercial advertising using a style known as “The New Typography.”
  • Advanced printing processes allowed designers to integrate photography and type; “typophoto,” in which type and image could be arranged simultaneously with transparent films; text and image could be fused using photomontage.
  • Moholy-Nagy predicted that in the design process of the future, there would no distinction between letters, images, and other elements, and text could be easily adaptable and scalable. 
  • Early 20th-century advertising designers appropriated subversive avant-garde ideas for commercial purposes.

László Moholy-Nagy; Typophoto (1925)

The artist and Bauhaus instructor articulated his vision for a new form of art that would incorporate a range of media.

  • Artists must participate in society’s ‘collectivity of interacting events.’
  • Printers, Photographers, and all artists must consider ways that art can connect people
  • ‘Typophoto’ is a new form of making, combining typography and photography for ‘the most exact rendering of communication.’
  • The combination of these printing technologies will create new possibilities for visual expression, thereby creating a ‘new visual literature.’ 

Jan Tschichold, “The Principles of the New Typography” 1928

Tschichold possessed a deep knowledge of traditional graphics and type, but rejected virtually all pre-modern conventions after visiting the first Bauhaus exhibition in 1923. He published The New Typography three years later. In 1933 the ruling Nazi party imprisoned him for spreading Communist ideas. Shortly thereafter, Tschichold fled to Switzerland, where he remained for the rest of his life, continuing to design but rejecting the modern typographic principles of his early work. 

  • The new typography is defined by clarity and economy of expression, as opposed to ideas of beauty and ornamentation
  • Typography must not arise out of preconceived ideas, but by developing form from the function of the text
  • Asymmetry is optically effective, as it establishes definite, logical relationships within the text
  • Standardization of type achieves clear and objective forms, as standardized building materials are necessary for architecture
  • For the typographer ‘the most important requirement is to be objective’

Instructions

Following the instructions below, read and annotate the text with your classmates in our Hypothesis group. After reading and annotating the text, create a rough draft of your response in your Research Journal. Your response should be about 200 words and checked for spelling and grammar errors. Lastly, create a new post and publish your response.

1. Open the readings

In one tab, open the essay by Madeleine Morley; Master László Moholy-Nagy Saw Photoshop Coming, 90 Years Ahead of Time (2019), AIGA Eye on Design

In another tab, open the text Armstrong, Helen. Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field, Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. Navigate to pages 32-34 and 35-38.

2. Enable Hypothesis

The reading links above will automatically open Hypothesis. Login to your account and select our Hypothesis group from the dropdown to make sure your annotations and highlights will be recorded in the group. See Using Hypothesis for details.

3. Consider these questions.

Here are the questions to which you should respond in your reading response:

  • According to these authors, what is their aesthetic approach, and why is it better than the traditional design/typography of the past?
  • What role should typography, photography, and other media play in shaping a new kind of design? 
  • How did technological advances influence aesthetic forms and theories in early 20th Century design?

4. Read & Annotate.

Consider the questions/prompts listed above. Start to formulate the answers to these prompts while you practice close reading with annotations. This will be part of your grade. Share at least 3 annotations in the Hypothesis group, including your questions, definitions, and ideas with your classmates. Add the tags: Bauhaus and Reading Response 3 to your annotations.

5. Draft your Reading Response.

In your Research Journal, write a draft of your 200-word response. Check for grammar and spelling errors. Use the word count tool. Use the Grammarly app or something similar to improve the clarity of your writing. Use visual examples to supplement your reading response. Consider looking back at the Learning Graphic Design History videos or the AIGA Archive to see if there are historical examples that will help support your ideas.

6. Post your Reading Response.

When ready, create a new post titled “Reading Response 3 – YourInitials.”

At the top of the post copy and paste the following: Madeleine Morley; Master László Moholy-Nagy Saw Photoshop Coming, 90 Years Ahead of Time (2019), AIGA Eye on Design, László Moholy-Nagy; Typophoto (1925): Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field by Helen Armstrong on pages 32-34, Jan Tschichold, “The Principles of the New Typography” 1928: Graphic Design Theory: Readings From the Field by Helen Armstrong on pages 35-38.

Copy and paste the questions/prompts listed above. Paste your reading response from your Research Journal. Add links to your annotations in the Hypothesis group at the bottom of your post. Always add links and attribution for any images that you use in your post. Adjust any formatting issues that may have occurred while pasting. Use the Reading Response (Example) as a guide.

Please be sure to add the following title, category, and tags to your posts. For help with adding Categories and Tags, see OpenLab Help.

  • TITLE: Reading Response 3 – Your Initials
  • CATEGORY: Reading Responses
  • TAG: Reading Response #3
  • TAG: Your Name

Resources

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