Armin Hofmann's Giselle Poster

Often referred to as the International Typographic Style or the International Style, Swiss Design emerged in Switzerland throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Much of the initial design elements, including objectivity and simplicity, came from two schools in Switzerland, the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts and the Basel School of Design (Flask). 

In this post, we are looking at a poster from the Basel School of Design’s infamous teacher, Armin Hofmann. Armin Hofmann taught for several years as a teacher before becoming head of the school. His teaching methods were referred to as unorthodox and broad-based. His body of work is recognized for its form - point, line, and shapes, while simultaneously conveying contrasting ideas such as simplicity and complexity, representation, and abstraction (MOMA). 

This poster, made in 1959, was created for an outdoor event called Giselle, which was a classical ballet performance. Here, we can see some of Hofmann’s signature styles, including a very linear font choice and an abstract image. Hofmann, along with the other infamous Swiss designers, was important to graphic design as they brought a new style into the world. They included simplicity and easy-to-read designs yet provoked thought with the use of shapes and abstraction. 

Resources:

Armin Hofmann | Moma. (n.d.). https://www.moma.org/artists/2697

Flask, D. (n.d.). SWISS DESIGN. Swiss design : Design is history. http://www.designishistory.com/home/swiss/

Smith, L. (2024, February 16). Armin Hofmann: Giselle – ethos. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/logangarrett/3007658979