In this lecture, we looked at more font styles and graphic styles. In the 18th century with the start of Industrial Revolution, more interesting and creative fonts such as ‘fat’ typeface, and display typeface began to surface, and I personally feel that this was a fascinating period when visual communication became a lot more captivating.

I was actually quite intrigued by the wood type posters of that time, as they used several decorative fonts to increase the appeal of the poster. This is contradictory to what we learn about modern typography today, as we are often advised to use only 2 fonts where a clean and minimalistic look is often recommended.

What I love about this particular type of design is that despite using several different fonts, the overall looks aesthetically pleasing and cohesive. I have always been intrigued by the choice of typography fonts in this kind of design which I feel contributes greatly to the harmonious and engaging poster aesthetics.

I also like the words from Alphonse Mucha, where the distinctive styles and influence of the Art Nouveau period was very prominent.

His works were so profound that the Art Nouveau was also alternatively known after his name: the Mucha Style. His works often portray woman with long flow hair, which has influenced most of the feminine portraits seen in some abstract works today. I love the ornamental floral details that often accompanies the character in his works, as well as the choice of earthy enticing colours.

It is interesting to see that even in more contemporary art works, the roots of it style can be traced back to centuries ago. Past styles inspire the current and the current inspires the future. What’s amazing is that throughout the process, none of them ever goes ‘out of style’, and each individual design movement only serve to become an irreplaceable timeless reference and muse for the next generation of artists.