The Modernist Era: Graphic Design in the First Half of the 20th Century, Part 2

In doing this week's reading, the artwork that resonated with me was one of the posters from the GREAT IDEAS OF WESTERN MAN campaign. The GREAT IDEAS campaign was the brainchild of Walter P. Paepcke, founder of the Container Corporation of America (CCA).  Artists were chosen to create art that would visually portray great ideas of western culture, with the artist having freedom to convey his/her vision of that idea. The ideas chosen to be interpreted visually included themes of liberty, justice and human rights. 

The piece of art that interested me was by Herbert Bayer, in 1954. 

This quote, by Alexander Hamilton in the late 1700s, reads: "It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of society against the injustice of the other part."

About the artwork, our textbook states that "Protection from injustice and oppression is asserted by hands warding off arrows penetrating into the page." (Meggs, Chapter 17, Figure 17-35, p. 347)


Seeing Bayer's work inspired me to research other pieces of art from the GREAT IDEAS campaign.  I found several, but the next one that I was drawn to turned out to be another piece by Herbert Bayer, on the same topic. 

This quote, by Thomas Paine, again in the late 1700s, reads: "Rights are not gifts from one man to another, nor from one class of men to another...It is impossible to discover any origin of rights otherwise than in the origin of man; it consequently follows that rights appertain to man in the right of his existence, and must therefore be equal to every man.  The principle of an equality of rights is clear and simple. Every man can understand it, and it is by understanding his rights that he learns his duties; for where the rights of men are equal, every man must finally see the necessity of protecting the rights of others as the most effectual security for his own."

The artwork for this, with Bayer's use of photography, different planes of color and interesting layout, highlights the main points of Paine's ideas.

I found one other piece of art by Herbert Bayer; this time a sculpture.

This sculpture, made in 1961, was inspired by Thomas Carlyle's lecture in London, on May 8, 1840, entitled "Heroes and Hero Worship II," where he stated simply, "Every new opinion, at its starting, is precisely in a minority of one."  Acccording to the Luce Foundation Center for American Art, "Thomas Carlyle's idea is reflected in the composition of the piece. One rod in the center of the chaotic constructions stands out from the others, representing the "minority of one" whose ideas change our lives."

I was inspired by all of these pieces.  Each piece evokes ideas of freedom, equality, justice and human rights, the ideals upon which this country is supposed to be founded. It seems that we as citizens of this country and the world need to be reminded of these things over and over, as the same themes keep coming up, even after hundreds of years. 

I was drawn to these pieces because, even though the quotes are from the 18th and 19th centuries, these are again important concepts in the 21st century.  With the issues of gay marriage and equality for gay Americans, I see that we are once again needing to "guard one part of our society from the injustice of the other part."  "Rights are not gifts from one man to another, nor from one class of men to another...rights appertain to man in the right of his existence, and must therefore be equal to every man." 

These pieces truly show how art can influence people.  How one man, with one opinion, can begin to change our world.  The following quote, widely attributed to poet and philosopher George Santayana, has been oft repeated and unfortunately, oft needed to be: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  We as a people seem to be unable to learn this very simple concept.  We keep making the same mistakes over and over.  With this latest civil rights issue, I hope for once, and soon, we can learn something from our past and finally prove the continual repetition of Santayana's quote unnecessary.

Picture Credits: 

Posters - https://wikis.otis.edu/graphicdesigna/index.php/GREAT_IDEAS_OF_WESTERN_MAN 

 Sculpture - Smithsonian American Art Museum, http://americanart.si.edu/luce