1970’s and 1980’s POSTER DESIGN

The era of the psychedelic design being consumed by mainstream culture and watered down for the masses along

with the was too much for many to handle.

Some artists sold-out, others disappeared and some returned to the UNDERGROUNDUNDERGROUND. Just as counterculture hits such as

“Light My Fire” by the Doors and “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane had been reduced to so much pap by easy listening artists of the day, so too did the appeal of UNDERGROUNDUNDERGROUND

style and design rise above ground. This was a first in cross-culture consumerism.

What was once underground rose up,mutated and became a commodity to the suburban masses. Emerging 1970’s style and design were a direct reflection of granola goodness and

hippy styles adopted by the mainstream.

New breeds and style of poster design would and did emerge

UNDERGROUNDUNDERGROUNDA form of design or an artist who prefers to work outside the

normal constraints or the latest trends or fads in design. Underground artists usually are not interested in money or fame,but rather much more interested in the artwork itself…

the end result.

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s… these people were referred to as “Bohemians.”

Modern design is a cannabalistic environment with ad agencies feeding off each others styles to capitalize on what is

perceived as “hot” at the moment.

In many ways, underground artists set the trends that mainstream artists, musicians and designers pick up on.

The 1970’s saw a huge surge in a particular style of design only typically seen on the sides of cars or walls...

Inspired originally by master artist Varga, airbrush was brought to prominence in the 70’s due to the popularity of fantasy literature and roll playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. The look of airbrush posters went from detailing cars to the rock world.

Characterized by a glossy, “wet’ look, airbrush style possessed a unique illustrated appeal.

Once considered lowbrow, or cheap by many critics, airbrush went on to win critics over thanks to artists such as Roger Dean, H.R. Giger and Patrick Nagel

Yes album covers which became a series of very popular posters.

ROGER DEANROGER DEAN

H.R. GIGERH.R. GIGERCreator of the ALIEN from the film series.

Even Mouse and Kelly stayed busy during the 1970’s

Journey band poster Soundtrack poster

Even disco music adopted the airbrush look

PATRICK NAGELNagel’s modern art deco style posters became synonymous

with the look of 1980’s New Wave and design

Nagel posters are characterized by simple, graphic outlines done in airbrush with pen and ink. Initially used for fashion illustrations, they made their way to mainstream thanks to

this Duran Duran album.

Sitting in direct contrast to the fine detail of

airbrush and International Typographic

Style, punk posters had a cut-and-paste,

no budget mentality for bands looking to

make a name for themselves in New York

and California. Without any budget

whatsoever, a magazine, an exacto knife

and a copier became an underground

design phenomenon all over the globe.

Considering it cost money to print posters,

and BREAD was something only “the MAN”

worried about!

Making copies at work for a few cents

apiece? That worked well with the punk

rock lifestyle of a “working man bargain.”

Who is “The Man”?

"The Man?”Oh, you don't know

The Man? The Man's everywhere:

in the white house…down the hall…

The Man ruined the ozone, and he's burning down the Amazon and he kidnapped

Shamu and put her in a chlorine tank!

"The Man" does not usually refer to a specific individual, but instead to the government, leaders of large corporations, and other authority figures in general, such as the police.

The Man is defined as the figurative person who controls our world. The Man is also often used as a symbol of racial oppression.

The phrase "the Man is keeping me down" is commonly used to describe perceived oppression, but in modern times it is most often used in an ironically resigned fashion.

The phrase "stick it to the Man" encourages resistance to authority, and essentially means "fight back" or "resist".

The concert handbill flyer became a very popular,

economical and easy to create form of advertising.

Flyers, along with postcards, leaflets and small posters, are vital and free forms of communication for people who want to engage the public but do not have the money or desire to

take out classified advertising in a local newspaper.

Their widespread use intensified with the spread of desktop

publishing systems.

Notice theNotice the““Cut & Cut &

Paste”Paste” style style

PUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLSPUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLS

PUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLSPUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLS

PUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLSPUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLS

PUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLSPUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLS

PUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLSPUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLS

What’s a unifying factor you have noticed so far in these posters?

PUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLSPUNK ROCK POSTERS & HANDBILLS

RECAP 1970’s and 80’s designRECAP 1970’s and 80’s design

Underground is a form of design or an artist who prefers to work outside the normal constraints or the latest trends or fads in design

Underground artists set the trends that mainstream artists, musicians and designers pick up on.

*

*

Punk Concert handbills or flyers worked just as well as posters did They’re like mini posters at a fraction of the cost.

Airbrush was characterized by a glossy, “wet’ look, possessing its own unique illustration style

*

Nagel’s art deco style posters became synonymous with the look of 1980’s New Wave and design characterized by simple, graphic outlines done in airbrush with pen and ink.

*

* Punk posters involved a cut-and-paste, no budget mentality using a magazine an exacto knife and a copier as their mediums.

RECAP 1970’s and 80’s designRECAP 1970’s and 80’s design

“The Man” refers to whoever the oppressor is in our lives.*

Towards the end of the 1980s, the first wave of Towards the end of the 1980s, the first wave of commercially available computers made commercially available computers made

producing posters A LOT more simple for many producing posters A LOT more simple for many designers.designers.

The advent of computer graphics in the 1990s The advent of computer graphics in the 1990s would be the first generation to embrace this would be the first generation to embrace this technology. But, oddly enough though… the technology. But, oddly enough though… the

poster industry was poised to look to its past once poster industry was poised to look to its past once again for inspiration.again for inspiration.

In doing so they helped create the look and feel of In doing so they helped create the look and feel of the next decade...the next decade...

QUESTIONS?

Check out these websites Check out these websites for an in-depth analysis of for an in-depth analysis of

punk rock image and punk rock image and visual stylevisual style

http://newwave.50megs.com/artic_postershow.html

http://members.tripod.com/weirdotronix/wofly1.htm