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#2 (21) 2001 French Design
Preambule! Brief history of French graphic design
Superficial review Guillaume Frauly
It is hardly possible or even deteriorative to state a history of French design within the limits of one article, but for comprehending of modern trends
it is worth mentioning some most important moments in the history of the last century. This superficial review will remind you the names, which are mostly
well-known. First of all names of poster artists. Than the names of typographers, graphics and illustrators — because France was recognized by virtue of
its multiformity. It is simply impossible to present everybody who erected this building of „French graphic design“.
Under the badge of poster
The genre of poster appeared in the middle of XIX century in the height of industrial revolution as an instrument of cultural, political, social and
economical agitation. And the founder of poster was Jules Chéret (1836-1932), the author of the first works for Folies Bergères (1889). Jules Chéret
produced about a thousand of posters and became a forerunner of so-called golden period of French poster.
Golden years of French poster. 1880-1890
The law from July 1881 proclaims full freedom of sticking, so in one moment all the walls become advertising areas. The poster enterprises arise. Not only
Parisians, but all the other world become witnesses of the first steps of the trend that will be named subsequently Art Nouveau. Alphonse Mucha, who came
from Austria in 1887, would apparently be called an ideal poster artist of that time. Grün, Steinlen, O’Galop and Eugène Ogé are considered to be the
representatives of golden period of French poster.
Poster propaganda and agitation. 1900-1914
Toulouse Lautrec died in 1901, Mucha left France. In 1898 Leonetto Cappiello arrived to Paris and right away announced himself on pages of many newspapers
as an advertising artist and caricaturist. He is also an author of the posters „Bouillons Kub“ (1931) and „Bally“ (1934). The first world war caused to
life propaganda poster (Poulbot, Abel Faivre, Fouqueray).
Between the wars. Mad years and „Four Musketeers“
New generation of artists declares themselves during this period. Cassandre, Colin and Carlu — they are called „three C“ or „Four Musketeers“, because
Loupot is also considerable representative of a genre that formed under the influence of revolution of a cubism and constructivism. Works of all of them
became the model for French artists. Each of them ascended in an area of advertising poster for the next fifteen years following the principle „Graphic
expression of idea“.
It is necessary to recollect Marcel Jacno, the author of unforgettable blue pack of „Gauloises“ (1936, it was modified in 1947) — real icon of French
design of that period!
1945-1970
After the war advertising finds its right to exist. This period was marked by the name of Raymond Savignac who brought advertising gag and comic trick into
use. His style formed by the influence of Cassandre is very simple, colors are bright, and humor is omnipresent.
Book covers and press
Along with poster creators, graphic designers (i. e. Pierre Faucheux or Massin) transformed French editions into a sample for imitation. Massin created a
cover for „La Cantatrice Chauve“ by Ionesco (1964), Faucheux made more than 700 covers. He also worked over the corporate identities for publishing houses
and collections („Espaces Libres“, „Points“, „L’Evolution de L’humanite“, „Spiritualites Vivantes“)
National workshop. 1968
At the very beginning of students? and workers? disturbances that took place in France in May 1968 the walls of Paris were gay with posters again. These
works which have reflected the requirements of a present situation found its graphic embodiment thanks to l’Atelier Populaire (National workshop). It was
established in School of Fine Arts in Paris. Its art is rough, one-color and cheap, but always rather biting.
Influence from Switzerland and Holland
Masters of Swiss school Jean Widmer, Peter Knapp, Emil Ruder and Frutiger impose to France their new style. Emil Ruder carried out orders for Parisian
foundry „Deberny&Peignot“. Peter Knapp took part in creating the logo „Elle“ and thus maintained the new principles of page-making.
Graphic complex for La Vilette (1984) created by Grapus (that grow from National workshop) was obviously influenced by Dutch production of Total design.
Many French designers were also influenced by the studio Dumbar.
Advertising, marketing, and photography
In the beginning of the 60’s advertising agencies appear in the United States. Gradually they started to impose their own methods of work based on so-cold
research of the market. As a result this practice brought to disappearing of advertising artists. Although Savignac is still working (today he is 95). Art
-directors, conception creators and managers — people making graphic art — had completely confused poster artist. Agencies began preferring photography to
hand written images. But a few art-directors (Max Ponty, Gerard Caron, Alain Lachartre) managed to save the spirit of creativity lost in most cases. This
period was also marked by blossoming of illustration. Topor, Folon and Roman Cieslewicz chose media press.
Magazine press. 1960-1970
Illustration is on its rise. Alain Le Saux, Jean Lagarrique, Philippe Corentin, Jean-Paul Goude, Topor and even Willem moved from Paris to New York and
back to Paris and combined commercial work with political interests: Playboy, Lui, The Esquire, The New Yorker, Life, Sports, Rolling Stone, Hara Kiri.
Twenty years of blossoming, and the dieing was in 1980.
Influence of Polish poster
In the beginning of the 60’s many of designers come to Warsaw to study in the School of Fine Arts, where one of the master — Henri Tomadzewski taught.
After returning to France they formed real Ecole Polonaise (Polish School). Michel Quarez, Pierre Bernard, Alain Le Quernec, Gerard Paris Clavel and the
others were among these artists. All of them were not alien to communist ideology and rather lively. „Manual skills“ prevailed: painting and drawing,
original image.
Situation today. Mixture of styles, different trends
Precisely this mixture of illustrative and poster graphic based on Polish school, on Swiss style and Bauhaus made the specificity of French style. Michel
Bouvet, Philippe Apeloig, Pierre Bernard, Catherine Zask, Pascal Colrat, Malte Martin, Laurence Madrelle, Rudi Meyer…France was often represented mostly by
these names. They are mainly poster designers and offsprings of masters. But there is a big gap between them and the next generation. New generation is
beginning to grow, with restraint and in absolutely another stylistics. They confess globalization in spite of rationality, they work over the expressive
but escaping images. Limits of the magazine — there is the only reason that we didn't show the works of M/M, Vanina Gallo, Alexis Atteret, Arnaud Mercier,
Fabrice Praeger, Geneviève Gauckler, Laurent Fétis, Jean-Pierre Khazem and Emmanuel Pierrot.
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