conversations podcast

In this College Arts Association podcast, I join Mandy Horton to discuss the Bauhaus and the New Typography.

Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe said, “only an idea has the power to spread so far.” When looking at specific formal aspects of design for the Olympics from countries all over the world, that statement reigns true—considering the influence of Bauhaus on global design. My premise is that graphic design campaigns for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, 1968 Mexico Olympics, and the 1972 Munich Olympics all have identities or typography or print collateral that embodies traces of Bauhaus styles and ideas. While designers like Yusaku Kamekura, Lance Wyman, and Otl Aicher did embrace the cultural or political pride of each of those countries, they found a balance between the pervasive tenants of the Bauhaus and each country’s national expectations.