Pinterest Exhibition Design Research - Suffragette Design - Research-led Brief

I conducted some research into the visuals of modern exhibition design - thinking about taking the exhibition route for the project. I wanted to showcase the suffragette work and a modern and contemporary way, yet also make sure the existing aesthetic is not forgotten. As the quote in the 50 50 exhibition stated - "Re-vision - the act of looking back, of seeing with fresh eyes, of entering an old text from a new critical direction - is for women more than a chapter in cultural history: is is an act of survival". I wanted the work to be showcased in a way that makes the viewer look at the work in a new way with new appreciation, but not forgetting it's roots and it's original worth.

I looked at contemporary pieces of exhibition branding that reminded me of the beggarstaff brothers' art nouveau work - very shape based with one or two colours in the pallet. Yet more modernised, with complex objects reduced into simple and bold shapes. The suffragette work is very much influenced by art neoveau and so it felt appropriate to re-appropriate it in this way. Perhaps I could look at the designs of suffragette posters and banners and thing about how they could be reframed into something more abstract.

The exhibition poster on the left shows was made for a Karachi School of Art exhibition. I thought it's bold composition worked well and uses shape in an modern and abstract way. It is very much influenced by Piet Mondrian who did the majority of his work in the 1910s and thus shows a relationship between the traditional and the modern. The sans serif typeface makes it bold and loud, especially the unusual angle of the type. I think the poster perhaps involves too much information and the design and information would stand out more if there was less text. I will consider this for future work.

The design on the right shows a poster for 'Unspooling Artists and Cinema' created by Andrew Bracey and Dave Griffiths. I was very intrigued by the dynamic lines poring from the type - showing a well linked relationship with the typography. It reminded me of some of the detailed lines I have seen used in suffrage work. Although this is not the design's intention, it made be think of constraints and ties - bursting for freedom. Perhaps there is a way I could incorporate an idea like that into a poster design, with lines perhaps acting as chains being strained - representing ideas of women's rights. I would however, not use such a layered, shadowed effect as traditional pieces don't tend to use this effect which is inherently digital and modern.

The design below on the left is a poster for the 'Super Mes Mini' game event for Anait Games. With this I thought the simple, layered line work came together well to make a bold and bright composition. The shapes and style is perhaps not contemporary and classic enough for the aesthetic I want to achieve - but the use of colour is effective and painting lines in this way might be something I experiment with.

The design on the right here is interesting design created to advertise a drug for depression. I find the shape based style, similar to Matisse is something I'd very much like to replicate. It is both modern and traditional and can be very contemporary and impacting. This style will work well with my ideas of modernising shapes and suffragette concepts into stylised, minimal interpretations. I also like the simple typeface used which allows the imagery to have high impact - it is subtle and considered which makes it so powerful.

I then looked at some more type based approaches as these seemed to be a popular approach at the moment. It would also be an interesting approach for if I decided to make the exhibition about suffrage poetry - using suffrage words as a form of art. Below are MAC VAL exhibition programs and I find their style bold and powerful - by simply rearranging the type it gives it far more impact and power.

I also looked at another type based approach as seen below. This also had high impact and can be considered very contemporary. The coloured backgrounds help to highlight the black text well and are key in the composition - this is something I hope to experiment with further along.