Vendredi 13 mai à 18h30, à l’occasion de la publication de No Words Posters publié chez RIT Press, soirée avec Armando Milani. Words posters un livre avec entre autres des images de Shigeo Fukuda, Stefan Sagmeister, Uwe Loesch, Milton Glaser, Niklaus Troxler, Roman Cieslewicz, Alain Le Quernec, Bruno Munari, Anthon Beeke, Grapus, Paul Rand, Alan Fletcher, Gerard Paris-Clavel, Werner Jeker… et en présence des graphistes français ayant participé à l’ouvrage, dont Fabrice Praeger
Communication is the exchange of ideas and feelings, and an image is worth a thousand words. The philosopher Roland Barthes says, “The image always has the last word.” With these concepts in mind, I have collected almost two hundred extraordinary posters from all parts of the world. They reflect the graphic designer’s ability to evoke emotion and understanding without using any words because the symbols speak for themselves. In some cases, with the consent of the designers, we have deleted a few lines of text that were not essential to the meaning of the poster’s symbolism. In the back of this book, you will find the original copy of each poster with its intended description and comments. Finally, there are also short essays about “no words” from some of the included designers. Many posters are designed by my colleagues in Alliance Graphique International (AGI). Others are by younger graphic designers, winners of various international competitions. I was pleased to notice that an increasing number of highly creative women graphic designers have emerged over the last years. The protagonists of this book use photography, typography, collages or illustrations. They use a sense of humor, metaphors, or dramatic images to confront the most crucial issues of our time.
These posters represent a variety of periods, styles, countries, and cultures. In their work, the designers set aside established religions and dogma in search of the truth. They all have a common denominator: the ethical need to improve the quality of our life and of society by encouraging dialogue and reflection about our humanity.
Many posters offer immediate interpretation, but others are more cryptic and that is their appeal. These images are stimulating and they capture attention because the viewer is challenged to solve the riddle.
The ground rules of graphic design usually recommend the use of no more than a few basic typefaces. I teach my students these same principles, but in this book I want to show that, sometimes, we can avoid even that. In so doing, our work can reach out and speak to the entire world.
These are silent posters. They offer timeless solutions, not ephemeral fashion.
The purpose of this book is to demonstrate that simplicity and ingenuity are the hallmarks of good and powerful design.
People often ask us: what is the difference between art and graphic design?
In this book, I am showing that sometimes there is no difference.