Visual Culture of our Times

This weekend I was able to visit SFMOMA for the first time. The experience was magical. Among all the rooms filled with works of art from the likes of Picasso, Mondrian, Magritte, and Lichenstein, I found myself most inspired by the room dedicated to graphic and industrial design.

As I entered the room, "SFMOMA has long considered industrial and graphic design, however quotidian or commercial, to be central to the visual culture of our times." was emblazoned on the wall. As someone pursuing a career in design, this especially resonated with me. Design plays a special role in both art and popular culture. Through graphic and industrial design, the designer essentially creates a time capsule of the period they are designing in. By looking back at graphic and industrial designs from eras past, we can get the most accurate idea of their life and mindset. Mass-produced everyday objects provide an insight in to the life of the owners that priceless, one-of-a-kind objects cannot. Similarly, these mass-produced objects give a better picture of a society as a whole, while handmade—which implies expensive—objects are almost always reserved for the wealthy upper-class exclusively and only gives the observer a look at a small demographic rather than the majority.

At the SFMOMA Excellent design is held in the same reverence as fine art. The mass-produced posters and industrial objects are hung with respect on the museum's walls. It was inspirational to see that good design—however commonplace—being acknowledged and immortalized.

Olivetti Typewriters are an incredible example of industrial design as well as the evolution and perfection of it. Each typewriter was displayed with a corresponding poster used to advertise the typewriter. These typewriters are an excellent example of both practical function and aesthetics. The posters' ability to mirror the aesthetics of the typewriter as well as appeal to the appropriate target audience is of a level that modern designers still aspire to.

The "Designing a Modern Brand" exhibit at the SFMOMA—although small in contrast to some of the other exhibitions, had a dramatic and inspiring effect on me and served to remind me why I love design so exponentially.