The American Democrat

An important art movement every graphic designer and artist should know is Modernism. Modernism arose in the early decades of the 20th century and, by the 1960s, was a primary approach used across the world. Many different styles fall under the term, but there are certain principles that typically define modernist art: a rejection of conservative value — an important one being a lack of realistic depiction, experimentation with shapes, colors, and lines, a tendency to be abstract, and more (Tate). 

In this post, we will look at a design created by one of the most famous American graphic designers, Paul Rand. Rand was best known for his corporate logo designs, some of his most popular being the IBM and UPS logos. Here, we are looking at Rand’s comprehensive and final cover for The American Democrat. While this is a collage on paper, it reflects Rand’s design style and his “problem-solving” approach. This approach facilitated removing copywriting from the principal position of design and simplifying the amount of type — allowing form and function to interact (Clark).

In this poster from 1956, we see elements of design that Rand would use throughout the rest of his life, a few of these being simplicity and playfulness. A quote of Rand’s was, “I steered towards humorous things. People who don’t have a sense of humor have serious problems” (Fu). Paul Rand will continue to be important to graphic design, from embracing Swiss Style and turning it into something fun, simple, and memorable to revolutionizing commercial art in America and advocating for functional yet beautiful designs (Smithsonian). 

References:

Clark, Carlie. “Design through the Decades: The 1950’s - Creative Agency Brisbane: Hello Creative Agency.” Creative Agency Brisbane | Hello Creative Agency, Creative Agency Brisbane | Hello Creative Agency, 23 Sept. 2020, www.hellocreativeagency.com/blog/design-through-the-decades-the-1950s.

Fu, Florence. “This Just in: Paul Rand.” Letterform Archive, 28 Aug. 2023, letterformarchive.org/news/paul-rand/.

Paul Rand - Artworks for Sale & More | Artsy, www.artsy.net/artist/paul-rand. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.

“Paul Rand.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, americanart.si.edu/artist/paul-rand-3936#:~:text=Paul%20Rand%20was%20a%20leading,designs%20envisioned%20by%20European%20modernists. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.

Tate. “Modernism.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/m/modernism#:~:text=Modernism%20refers%20to%20a%20global,values%20of%20modern%20industrial%20life. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.