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As my thesis continues to tighten up and my research and experiment focus, I’m thinking more and more about the form it will take. Recently my thinking turned a corner as I now know that not all my research equals my thesis- some of what I’m currently pursuing will assist me in the future should I pursue publishing a book on Globe Poster. This may seem obvious, but it has proven to be an important realization.
The goal of my thesis has sharpened to sharing an interesting glimpse into a specific genre of graphic design in America- the street poster of the mid-twentieth century. Physical processes produce interesting, inadvertent traces of their creation and the work will illuminate those manifestations.
That said, I will organize a showing of the work. It will not consist of the display of physical objects of past technologies as if to say “here is something I came across- how interesting.” While such an exhibit has value, I feel it inappropriate to represent my work as a graduate student.
Photography will be important. The poster format will be important. Letterpress and screen printing will be important. Given these elements, the work will take the form of several prints of large size. I will produce them appropriately and in a manner that best fits given the space.
A diagram in my sketch book serves as the inspiration of this entry. The sketch examines the domains that apply to Globe.
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Graphic designers find the work that Globe produces interesting because it represents an authentic form of communication. Their posters simply and effectively inform the public of an event: its location, time and how to attend. A Globe poster uses clear typography, an appropriate heirarchy and cuts through competing visual clutter.
Globe posters appeal to printing enthusiasts as well. Screen printing and letter press celebrate the work of the hand. A trained eye reveals the physical process required to manufacture the artifact. Whether setting wood type or cutting rubylith, the imperfections stand as a monument to manual craft.
The scarcity of authentic Globe posters make them highly sought after by collectors of ephemera. Made as disposable objects, posted cardboard carried no value past conveying information. For this reason very few posters survived.
