Maximalism
Sophie Devine
‘Less is more’ and ‘form follows function’ have become very popular phrases in the design world for those fashion conscious individuals searching for the minimalist aesthetic. Yet does not everybody need some colour and excitement in their lives rather than a life surrounded by bedazzling white walls and smooth clean lines? Perhaps this need is ripening in today’s consumer society already; In opposition to the recently popular austerity of minimalistic living, we seem to be establishing an appreciation for clutter and the excess. Could it even be possible that both ways of solving problematic design are working well alongside each other? Is it that they are so contrary to each other that they are ultimately just ‘two sides of the same coin’ and neither one could exist without the other to fall back on. Is there even a visible cycle between the two? Do we as a society eventually get bored of one way of doing things and then revert to doing the complete opposite? Ultimately it could easily be stated that there is no answer to the question of which is more successful as, particularly in design, the ultimate decision is down to personal taste. What better way is there to show ‘maximalism’ of the past than with the floral, patterned and decorative work of the Arts and Crafts movement. As a reaction against the industrial revolution of the Victorian age, the promotion of handcraftsmanship allowed individuals like William Morris freedom with decoration and to create excessive pieces. In later years, the Art Nouveau movement, which developed in the 1880s, provides a great example of the popularity of decoration and embellishment before the growth of minimalism in the 20th Century. Figure 1 William Morris, Acanthus leaf wallpaper Alphonse Mucha delivered some of the best examples of the Art Nouveau-‐style Graphic Design during the late 19th Century. His posters Figure 2, became iconic images, depicting decorative type and organic forms surrounding beautiful Alphones Mucha women. La Dame aux According to The Tate Gallery: An Illustrated Companion (1979), ‘The theory of Camelias 1896 minimalism is that without the diverting presence of “composition”, and by the use of plain, often industrial materials arranged in geometrical or highly simplified configurations we may experience all the more strongly the pure qualities of colour, form, space and materials'.1Although minimal art did not appear to be popular as a movement until the 1950s there are examples of minimalist theories being exercised since the 18th century, in the work of Goethe and his construction ‘an Altar of Good fortune’ consisting simply of a stone sphere and cube in his garden in Weimar. With his writings of 1908 in the essay ‘Ornament and crime’ Austrian architect Adolf Loos took the first stand against the previously popular and highly decorative Art Nouveau movement by stating that“Ornament is wasted manpower and therefore wasted health.”2. Loos argued that craftsmen could not be paid fairly for their labourdue to ornament no longer being an imperative manifestation of civilization. Loo’s essay swiftly developed into a crucial paper and manifesto in the modernist world and was distributed worldwide. The resulting work took the form of the crisp geometric forms of the Art Deco movement in the 1920s and minimalist and maximalists have been debating over style ever since. In graphic design, Art Deco comprehended motifs ‘ranging from reductive geometry, elongated figures and mannered angularity to the repetition and regularity associated with the machine’3 A.MCassandreis a great example of graphic designers in the Art Deco Era, and his strong belief in the intergration of word and image had great influence in the area. Figure 3, A.M Cassandre, Poster France 1925
1 http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Minimal_art.aspx 2http://www.mariabuszek.com/kcai/Design%20History/Design_readings/LoosOrnamentCrime.pdf 3 Design writing research, Ellen Lupton and Abbot Miller, pg 88
When considering the work of fine artists beauty can easily be found in both minimal and maximal creations. Once again when it comes to the question of which you would rather have in your home surely the answer depends on that person and their lifestyle. Minimalism became very popular in America in the 1960s. One cannot state that when faced with an enormous canvas that rejects figures, landscapes and movement and simply boasts a block of the intense Yves Kelin Blue, there is no appreciation of its beauty. Artists like Ad Reinhardt andRobert Rauschenbergmanaged to achieve fullness through emptiness in their work by simply using powerful block colour and rejecting obvious forms. Mark Rothko sought the elimination of clutter stating that “The progression of a painter’s work, as it travels in time from point to point, will be Figure 4 Ad Reinhardt, toward clarity: toward the elimination of all obstacles Abstract painting No 5, 1962 between the painter and the idea, and between the idea and the observer.”4 Although some may feel great apprication for works of the likes of Hiroshi Sugimoto, one cannot deny that when admiring such a minmalist piece, one can easily be distracted bt the tiniest imperfection. Whereas with Maximalist pieces the eye does not fall onto the odd speck of unwanted dust, disruption in paint or glitch in a photograph, it is compelled to take in the whole of the work and admires all details while ignoring any imperfections. By 1912, artists began to move away from the slow and static images of cubism and had founded a way of displaying movement and change. Futurism is an excellent example of maximalist art through its breakdown of form by substituting swirling lines for horizontals and verticals. Viewers are drawn to paintings such as Umberto Boccioni’s ‘The Street Enters the House’ for their stimulating capture of movement and colour. When admiring such a painting the dynamic composition of swirling figures brings the piece alive, it almost seems possible that the noises and movements of the street could jump out from the piece. In 2003 British painter Chris Ofili publicized the return Figure 5 Hiroshi Sugimoto, North Pacific Ocean, 1994
or ‘maximalism’ with a series of kaleidoscopic colours and intricately ornamented paintings. His boisterous works are renowned for their layering of stimulating media including glitter, resin, map pins, collage and elephant dung. In 2003 Bibi Van de Zee of the Guardian claimed that “Beneath the one or two pieces of elephant dung are paintings with layer upon layer of pattern and imagery: Looking at one of his pictures can have a hypnotic effect.”5Ofili’s work encompasses rhythmic patterning and cultural elements, playing on the theme of beauty while also making statements about black culture, history and exoticism. Figure 6 Umberto Boccioni, The Street Enters the House, 1911
Figure 7 Chris Ofili, Afrodizzia, 1996
The garishly bold colours of EttoreScottsass’ post-‐modernist Memphis group dominated the interiors of the 1980s. Perfectly in tune with the 80s post punk era of new romanticism, Memphis’ colourful vibe, along with the multinational, young and hip designers of mixed sex, proved overpowering to the mass media, despite it’s hatred by many old designers.Despite the fact that the pieces created were not loaded with decoration they can still be considered as maximal as a reaction against the plain, dark and humourless minimalist design of the 1970s. Their use of striking colours allowed the group to inject some character and eccentricity into society while retaining the functional feel to their designs. Figure 8 Carlton cabinet 1981, Ettoresottsass Modern minimalistic architecture grew out of the belief that the aesthetic of excessive decoration was caused by the pursuit of beauty and pleasure and therefore often regarded as
4 http://dianemcgregor.blogspot.com/2008/10/rothko.html
5 http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2003/nov/01/20yearsoftheturnerprize.turnerprize9
pretentious. The debate over form and function became saturated with moral connotations. Le Corbusier even believed that decoration would cease to exist in the future referring to the decorative arts as “the final spasm of a predictable death.”6.The styles of contemporary architects of the likes of John Pawson became very popular among the young and wealthy towards the end of the 20thCentury. Pawson created a minimalistic way of living by focusing on solving the fundamental problems of space, light, proportion and materials rather than creating individual stylistic characteristics. The title of his book ‘Minimum’, published in 1996 speaks for itself when considering his method of working.Pawson uses simplified form and a restricted colour palette to create spaces that offer a sense of refuge, and uses inspiration from the likes of Donald Judd and his statement “Simple expression of complex thought.”7 . Yet it could be argued that the attempts of minimalist architects at creating such a place of sanctuary could cause people to feel uncomfortable in the garishly white space, I myself would feel uneasy and apprehensive of spoiling such a clean area with any untidiness. Minimalistic interiors are evidently for everyone. A great example of maximalist interior design today is showcased by Australian designer Sibella Courtwho describes her style as “A bohemian mix of beautiful things that are both old and new, well-‐travelled, pre-‐loved and quirky.”8. One cannot argue that, when done so successfully, maximalist interiors never seem to bore, they demand attention and make a statement about the room and the person that lives there rather than creating any fear of disarray. Surely there is a reason that if you pick up a homeware magazine today, it will be filled to the brim with floral patterned wallpapers and embellished furniture, awash with various trimmings. There is something about this style that appeals much more to the public than a tin of white emulsion. Unlike William Morris’ Arts and crafts movement, with his establishment of the Bauhaus school in Weimar in 1919, Walter Gropius realised that machine production was inevitable and embraced it’s existence by developing a new style which reflected the principles and processes of the industrial aesthetic. The school Figure 9, The society inc. interior, Sibella Court
saw that the reduction of items to their vital elements was an easy and successful way of making objects suitable for mass production for the consumer. The Bauhaus therefore created the uncluttered living environment of a technological era by developing clean, simple, abstract, angular and geometric forms even inspired by modern machinery. The principle of using structures in the shapes of wheels and other mechanical parts created an industrial depiction to architecture and interior design that contrasted to the curves and ornamentations of the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. Gropius illustrated that the aesthetic of Bauhaus architecture was to “Build means to shape the activities of life. The organism of a house derives from the course of the activities, which take place within it… The shape of a building is not there for it’s own sake…”9 It is from the Bauhaus that the term ‘Form follows function’ was born as well as the unification between designer and machine.Hermann Muthesius successfully describes what the Bauhaus thoughts and ideas were “What we expect from machine products, is smooth form reduced to its essential function.”10 The Bauhaus teachings had a vast influence over the typography of the 20th Century. László Moholy-‐Nagy, a Hungarian Letterer and sign painter, was appointed to take over Johannes Itten’s preliminary course in 1923. Moholyhad great influence over students such as
the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
Figure 10 Poster for a Bauhaus exhibition in Weimar, Joost Schmidt, 1923
Figure 11 The Bauhaus font
Herbert Bayer and Joost Schmidt. With the use of simple typeface, heavy rules and ban of serifs and the uppercase, Bayer had great influence over minimalistic typography and the Bauhaus font is still used today. His successor, Joost Schmidt was also gifted as
6Maximalism, Charlotte Rivers, pg 12
7 Information from notes taken when visiting the John Pawson exhibition at The Design Museum in London, November
2010 8 http://thedesignfiles.net/2008/07/interview-‐sibella-‐court/ 9 Bauhaus, Frank Whitford, pg 159 10 Bauhaus, Frank Whitford, pg 20
a typographer and his many posters for Bauhaus exhibitions scream out the minimalistic traits of geometric forms and simplistic type. The grids and minimalism of Swiss typography became popular with graphic designers in the 1930s. Designed by Eric Gill in 1928 the Gill Sans font is a great example of this, consisting of clean lines and uniform width. Gill Sans soon became popular among graphic designers for its simple form and the quick brown fox jumps ultimately legible style. over the lazy dog Yet today the previously successful ‘Gothic’ typefaces of Germany seem to be becoming more popular with graphic designers.After years of Mac-‐ Figure 12 Gill Sans font generated minimalism teamed with blunt Swiss typography and rigorous layouts Graphic designers are beginning to desert the Helvetica, in favourof more gothic and ornate fonts. Typefaces of the likes of ‘Quilts’, created for the Victoria and Albert museum’s exhibition ‘Quilts:1700-‐ 2010’, are splendid examples of designers moving away from simple tidy typefaces. The designers of Quilts, Studio Frith, created the font by Figure 13 Quilts font “Developing a version of an old typeface found at St Brides Library making a special feature of the dipping cross-‐bars”11 which mirrors a quilting method called ‘Stitch in the Ditch’. Although simplistic type has many benefits with simple and elegant layouts it can easily bore. That’s not to say that some ‘maximalistic’ type can become unsuccessful with over powering details and trimmings and therefore illegible. Overall it seems that depending on the client and brief, the majority of the time the most successful typography uses a legible font with some decorative twists rather than going overboard with embellishments. GerdArntz is an excellent example of a successful minimalistic Graphic designer, producing over 4000 different pictograms and abstract illustrations for the ISOTYPE system in the 1920s and 30s. Arntz’s clear-‐cut style developed into simple designs that worked effectively in getting points across. Creating woodcuts and linocuts provided sharp commentaries on the social classifications prevalent in Weimar Germany after the First World War. Figure 14 Symbols for The strikingly elegant work of Minimalist graphic design works well in many employed and unemployed, Gerd Arntz, 1930s situations, yet it can be a struggle to get excited about something that fails to entice you straight away. During the 1990s Graphic designer David Carson, stood apart from the majority of designers with creative texture and diversity in his work by mixing traditional typefaces with gaudy offbeat ones. Carson’s unique expressionistic typography and interest in non-‐mainstream photography had a huge impact on the young 90s culture. Carson also successfully integrates text and image in a way, which although may sometimes not be instantly legible, carries emotion and boldness. Figure 15 Cover for Yale University art gallery, David Carson, 2010 In terms of Graphic Design today, it appears that the cult for embellishment has emerged as a reaction to the pared down design, which was so popular in the 90s. After the tendency to use the Apple Macintosh to create gridded and structured design, the growth of decoration by Designers and Illustrators has begun to result in emotive and alluring work. The development of maximalist tendencies can be highly credited to the development of technologies such as photoshop, Quark and Illustrator.It is now straightforward and easy to create complicated pieces on such software very quickly. Without this software, creating such stylised and complex pieces would have been uneconomical.The increased use of repeated pattern, embellishment and adornment seen today reflects a trend towards a vivid and exciting ‘Maximalism’. A great example of the use of Photoshop in creating decorative pieces is the album cover created for Japanese artists Asa-‐Chang &Junray by the London based design agencyNon-‐ Format in 2002. Non-‐Format designer Jon Forss explains how the LPs were created “We began by scanning illustrations of Japanese floral patterns, broke
Figure 16 Asa-‐Chang & Junray album cover, Non-‐format, 2002
11 The creative Review Type Annual February 2011, pg 22
them apart on Photoshop then reconstructed them into a pattern that stretched across the front and back of an LP sleeve.”12 To be able to pull things apart and edit designs with the luxury of never losing the original is a key part of the Graphic Design of the modern world, and such illustrative and decorative works would not be around today without that ability. Having learned from the encounter with modernism, the current approach of graphic designers embraces function with a diverse range of methods and materials. The adorned pieces encompass symbol repetition and floral references in order to ‘tell a story’ rather than just look pretty. There also seems to have been an evolution of the 1960s style of decorative illustration with a new twist from the digitally formed line drawings of the 90s. Designers and illustrators have begun to embrace the hand drawn along with digital processes, using them together in order to create highly attractive pieces. An example of the use of mixing the hand made and computer editing to create a maximal effect is Spanish Graphic Artist Alex Trochut. Trochut works to the rule that “More is more”13 His illustrations, designs and typography take the notion of minimalism and flip it on it’s head. He successfully combines hand drawn images and CAD to come up with exciting results boasting an elegantly detailed combination of type and imagery. Also, in 2003, Shinsuke Koshio from Tokyo based Design Company Sunday Vision created a folded catalogue for the Orine collection, using decorative hand drawn illustrations over photography resulting in a really attractive feminine look. As well as this, the catalogue folds out from a hexagonal shape in an origami-‐esque style, which easily entices the consumer. Figure 17 Cover of The Graphic Design has even become more sensually appealing, not just to our sight. Guardian G2, Alex Trochut, Designers are beginning to develop not just layout and style but materials so that 2008 we can now touch and even taste and smell pieces in front of us. The classic example is of the scratch and sniff, yet a recent example is the Design Criminals Edible Catalogue, by Andreas Pohancenik, currently on display at the Design Awards in the London Design Museum. Only time will tell if the return to ‘Maximalism’ will overcome the desire to regularly change our ways and style, although it is doubtful. There is no doubt that since design has been an important part of the economy and our daily lives ‘maximalism’ has coexisted with minimalism. One seems to have stood out more successfully than the other many times in the past yet it is their reliance on the existence of each other that makes the individual so great. Some designs should be bold and simplistic, while others have a need of excess and embellishment; it is ultimately dependent on the needs of the product and the client as to which direction a design would work. The argument of minimalism and ‘maximalism’ is part of an ongoing cycle, a definitive competition between the beautiful and the functional. However is it not truly beautiful when items possess beauty and purpose? If only we could accept that the two both have important qualities in order to further all areas of design and have an equal appreciation for them both. Inevitably, we are flawed beings that insist on arguing right and wrong and travel through phases throughout our lives and as our desires, tastes and lifestyles change, therefore so to will design.
12Maximalism, Charlotte Rivers, pg 67 13Illustration now! 3, E.dJuliousWiedenmann, pg 392