Dynamic diagonals are a good way to make the audience look at a certain thing, it makes the eye move around the page and directed to a point, creating tension with the angle of the shapes. These shapes/lines can also create depth in a designers work, if you have more diagonals in an image then this will increase the depth that is given off, also having the angles perpendicular to one another (instead of parallel) can make the image look more forward.
The 1930’s was when a Russian graphic designer used diagonals in one of his work, Gustav Klutsis’ poster ‘Workers’. At the time he made the poster it summed up the period of time fairly well, the image is off stacked hands – tilted at a steep angle, the text on the poster then seems to be holding up the image as it’s angled in the opposite direction. As years past on diagonal layouts were favoured but weren’t required as a graphic infrastructure. Designers would choose to have right-leaning images instead of Klutsis’ image of left-leaning hand. Recently, designer have even started to combine up-down with right-left creating an intriguing look.
Title – Pulchri Studio (2006) , Designer – Studio Dumbar
Source – Heller, S and Vienne, V (2012) 100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design, London, Laurence King Publishing Ltd.
Analysis on Pulchri Studio:
The concept of Diagonal’s is the only thing that has been used in this poster, the content is based on an arts shows and therefore the paint drops are at an angle, all of the drops are angled in one direction, whereas the smaller text in the background is angled in different directions. As the ‘background’ lettering is smaller and perpendicular to the paint drops it makes it seem that the drops are more forward. This poster was created 70 years after the ‘Workers’ by Gustav Klutsis, this shows us that the concept has carried on for a long time and hasn’t changed much, as the colour pallet is similar with simple solid colours. The rain drops are brighter than the background, which is a deep brown. The main text for the poster is inside the raindrops, therefore you need to have these the main focal points. This is done with the Diagonals and the solid block colours. When rain drops / paint drops fall they don’t always fall straight down and sometimes fall side ways, the diagonals make the piece seem more realistic and still keeping the artist feel, as it’s an art show.
I think that this piece of work has been successful in using the concept throughout the poster. The main focal points are on the paint drops which is what the designer wanted. This is done well with the use of strong colours and shapes.
Title – Workers (1930), Designer – Gustav Klutsis
Source – Heller, S and Vienne, V (2012) 100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design, London, Laurence King Publishing Ltd.
Analysis on Workers:
Gustav Klutsis was a Latvian photography and is known for the Soviet revolutionary and Stalinist propaganda. The dynamic diagonals are used in this concept with the help of a collage of hands. Klutsis’ poster is set against a strong red background with the hands set at a -45 degree and then the text at 45 degree. The tilt on the hands is dramatic and it would seem to be falling over if it wasn’t propped up by the text.
Looking at Klutsis’ background it seems that this poster could be a piece of propaganda – this can also be seen by the raised hands and the few faces on the page. Although I don’t know what the text says (some research indicates it could be: Let’s fulfil the Plan of Great Works) the font used is big and bold, making it easy to read. As a propaganda poster I think that this is successful as the text seems to be persuasive and the multiple hands symbolises unity – making everyone join together.
Although this has been good to research I don’t think that this concept will be used in my final design. This is because I don’t find it too interesting because all the examples I’ve looked at there hasn’t been much detail in the work. The most has probably been ‘Workers’ and that is only due to the collage of hands.
Ryan Thornton Graphic Design 