Motopomo: 20th Century Graphic Design

Motopomo: 20th Century Graphic Design investigates the historical passage of twentieth century graphic design, from modernism into postmodernism, in order to provide a backdrop against which the issues surrounding contemporary graphic design can be better understood. The implications that the socio-cultural features of the modern era have in terms of graphic design practice are examined in order to reveal, amongst other issues, how the complex, diverse, modern ‘aesthetic'' has more to do with depth-oriented cultural and intellectual attitudes than it has to do with superficial styling and ‘fashion''. Here the passage from modernism to postmodernism traces its lineage: from modernism''s early provenance in eighteenth century Enlightenment thinking, industrialisation and modernisation; and the emergence of the early modern avant-garde movements; to modernism''s coming of age in the ‘high'' modern movements; and to its eventual maturation into the International Style and its assimilation into commercialism as well as its ‘domestication'' into museums; until its final (though not complete) demise in its battle with postmodernism.