What Happened on August 23, 1902

“The Birth of Modern Graphic Design”

Where we left off…

• Chromolithography had been introduced, allowing for full-color vibrant graphics to be used in common poster advertisements and product labels.

Where does this all lead?

• The French Poster of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s (Art Nouveau):

• Highly Stylized

• Geometric Forms take up the entire canvas

• “Sensual” Graphics.

The Priester Matches Poster Competition

• Held in 1902, searching for the “New Ad Campaign” for Priester Matches. Winning prize is 50 dollars.

• 19 year old Lucien Bernhard, a struggling poet, sees the advertisement for the contest and decides to enter.

The morning of the day that the poster is due, Lucien starts

painting…

Lucien’s Poster at the Competition…

• At 11:00 p.m., Lucien realizes the time and runs to the post office, as his poster must be postmarked by midnight.

Lucien's Poster at the Competition…

• First Judging: Bernhard’s poster is laughed at and quickly thrown into the trashcan.

How Ernst changes History.

• Ernst arrives: Ernst Growald, a prominent printer, shows up late. Not seeing anything to his liking in the remaining posters, he checks the trash.

How Ernst changes History…

• Ernst verdict: Ernst picks Lucien's Poster from the trash, looks at it for 5 seconds and announces….

“This is my first prize. This is

Genius!”

And now, presenting the famous Priester Matches poster, recognized as the birth of Modern Graphic

Design…

Bernard and the Pictorial Modernism Movement

• Bernhard’s poster style quickly becomes the rage in graphic design.

Characteristics• Simplification of

objects to colors and shapes.

• Prominent brand name and simple, often colorized graphic.

• Textured backgrounds

Your Assignment:

“The Object Poster”