Alexey Brodovitch Biography - Research Paper Example

As a teacher of design in the University of the Arts in Pennyslvania, Brodovitch inspired to students to move away from Romantic Realism and embrace modernism. Brodovitch always taught with visual aids, often bringing German or French magazines to the classroom as study materials. Several of his students embraced his design skills and propagated them into the future. Richard Avedon, a legendary photographer says that he not only learnt art from Brodovitch, but also impatience, arrogance and dissatisfaction. (Bunker, 1972)

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Although he worked at the military, Brododvitch's artistry was not influenced in any way by his past career. However, the culture and events around the time at which he embarked on visual arts shaped his destiny in the field. For example, it was only at the 13th Annual Art Directors Exhibition that Carmel Snow spotted Brodovitch and invited him to a place that would make his legacy (Grundberg, 1989).

Brodovitch will go down the memory of art history as the art director of Harper`s Bazaar despite his boldness and strictness which attracted criticism his methods bore results and inspired a new age in art. Brodovitch will be remembered not because of his long tenure as the director of the fashion magazine but by playing a crucial role in the introduction of the simplified modern graphic design to the United States of America. Previously, in America art was dominated by an amalgam of vanguard art movements which dominated American art and design. Through his teaching and strict values, Brodovitch was able to create a generation of designers who ushered a new era in design in America and Europe. Brodovitch believed in the primacy of visual immediacy and freshness. In the 1950s, Brodovitch pioneered in the development of expressionistic picture-taking style which became dominant in America and Europe during this time. From humble beginning being an exile from Russia in Paris life was not easy for Brodovitch with great focus and talent, however, he was able to win the first prize using his poster design in 1924 which pushed Brodovitch into the limelight. Soon, Brodovitch was in high demand than any other artist in Paris and other parts of Europe to design restaurants decor, store advertisements and posters (Viegas, 2014).

Most of Brodovitch's work was experimental and new which made him stay afloat of the art industry. Brodovitch was highly innovative, and he encouraged his students to go beyond the normal art to impress him. His ability to push for more results and beyond the known work of art led to his significant achievements and ability to retain his directorship at the Bazaar. Each editorial achievement scored by Brodovitch was a fact, and he forbid his students and subordinates at the Bazaar from unnecessary repetition. Most of his colleagues at the Bazaar such as Marvin Israel note that Brodovitch was obsessed with change and each of his projects was unique. Brodovitch was engulfed by a state of perpetual optimism to deliver unique art products in all his work which puts him at a distinct position compared to his peers. Despite his unyielding and constant criticism many of his former students respected him and worked as his assistant when he arrived in New York at the new school of art. It is through his teachings that today people are awed by Brodovitch's creations and innovations through those who carry his teaching in art practice. Through harmonious and avant-garde photography using innovative photography, Brodovitch ushered a great era in art. Although Brodovitch did not care about the legibility of his work it can be noted that through integrated text illustration and generous use of the white space Brodovitch was able to bring expressionistic art in magazines and posters. The use of white space was considered as a primary trademark and element of Brodovitch's work of art (Holstead, 2015).

Brodovitch was good at experimentation, and he believed that there is no one way of doing things. Most of his students concur that Brodovitch would contradict his previous teachings stressing the need for experimentation in creating new and innovative work. With his efforts the Bazaar became successful, and it was able to compete in the market. Brodovitch was behind the definition and the success of the post-world war two photography in America. The New York fashion scene was significantly elevated through Brodovitch's insightful photography and experimentation (Pujadas, 2014).

At the end of his career, Brodovitch decided to retire to a small village in France where he died in 1971. Despite being a photography model and example to many modern artists. Brodovitch had a downside and unhappy family life. Family stress and personal issues pushed Brodovitch into hard-drinking and smoking which led to his death. Brodovitch is an encouragement to the young and upcoming artists to be explorative and experimental which can help improve photography (Beuley, 2014).

References

Alexey Brodovitch (1898 1971). Retrieved from http://www.iconofgraphics.com/alexey-brodovitch/

Alexey Brodovitch | Index Grafik Print Poster. Wall Part, Retrieved from http://wallpart.com/poster/consulter-un-aper-231-u-de-l-ouvrage-alexey-brodovitch-de-kerry-william-909696753444

Alexey Brodovitch. Alchetron. Retrieved from http://alchetron.com/Alexey-Brodovitch-1312241-W

Modernism. Retrieved from http://www.citrinitas.com/

Richard Avedon. Retrieved from https://www.emaze.com/@AOWZQRLO/Richard-Avedon-

Arnold, R. (2002). Looking American: Louise Dahl-Wolfe's fashion photographs of the 1930s and 1940s. Fashion Theory, 6(1), 45-60.

Beuley, M. (2014). Garry Winogrand: The Art of Street Photography.

Bunker, G. R. (Ed.). (1972). Alexey Brodovitch and his influence: Exhibition. The College.

Drew, N., & Sternberge, P. (2005). By its cover: modern American book cover design. Princeton Architectural Press.

Grundberg, A. (1989). Brodovitch (Vol. 1). Harry N Abrams Inc.

Holstead, C. (2015). Defining the Visual Architecture. The Routledge Handbook of Magazine Research: The Future of the Magazine Form, 392.

Martin, R. H. (1998). Cubism and fashion. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Pujadas, A. (2014). Primitivism & Modern Design. Blucher Design Proceedings, 1(5), 91-96.

Viegas, P. (2014). Kapa magazine, 19901993: A survey on postmodern graphic design and appropriation. Blucher Design Proceedings, 1(5), 265-271.