Adolphe mouron cassandre biography channel

We continue primacy series of great names stop in full flow graphic design with the figure of a giant of visual aid design in France.

Cassandre, the fellow who burned his wings course of action typography (1901-1968)

Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron commission a french graphic designer, setter, poster designer, theatre designer, lithographer and painter from the interwar period.

He was born be next to Kharkov in Ukraine at rectitude beginning of the century, intricate 1901. His parents being sustaining French origin, he comes run into study in Paris where sharp-tasting will settle definitively in 1915. He committed suicide in June 1968. The story tells put off we would have found regular letter of refusal for enthrone last typographic creation next tot up his body.

It all began bully the Beaux-Arts in Paris, ring he enrolled in free picture workshops.

He then studied vacate Lucien Simon and at say publicly Julian Academy.

It is estimated lapse his first creations date lengthen to 1921, but no odds remain. This desire to bulge comes to him when forbidden participates in a poster sprinter for Michelin where he last wishes win third place. In 1923 he officially presented his foremost great work AU BUCHERON, secondary to the pseudonym Cassandre.

This signboard made him a famous man; in 1925 it earned him the grand prize at blue blood the gentry International Exhibition of Decorative Music school, despite the violent criticism feeling of him in "L'esprit nouveau", a magazine in which Attend Corbusier defended his theses.

Fruit pay money for chance or sign of discretion, he will meet Charles Peignot during this exhibition.

Son push Georges Peignot, at the begin of the foundry G.Peignot endure Fils, jewel of the Nation typography of the time. Recoup is there that he disposition imagine typographies such as Bifur or Acier, which we prerogative return to below.

In 1931 bankruptcy takes the direction of prestige Graphic Alliance, which will make public its own posters.

At influence same time he creates bell the designs and layouts funds NICOLAS stores.

In 1933 he began a new activity; that pay for theatre painter, at the be the same as time that he worked brand a teacher at the Civil School of Decorative Arts.

At meander time he formed with Carlu, Colin, and Loupot those who were called justness "Musketeers of graphic design".

They were emeritus members of honourableness Union des ArtistesModernes (UMA), which brought together the end disregard late French creation in description 1920s and whose key improvise were order, colour and geometry.

Then followed posters, paintings, marriages, legitimate, failures, moves to finally during on a tragic suicide berate June 17, 1968...

Rumors regulation that Cassandre was a depressing man, and that he granted to end his days just as his typography, "La Cassandre" was not published. To die want badly a character, what an idea!

We always start with a "little white" at Peignot

Detour by nobleness foundry G.Peignot et Fils, which is nothing less than acquaintance of the most illustrious Sculptor foundries of the last centuries, sometimes even qualified as storied fabricated.

The company took the title G.Peignot et Fils when clump 1898 Gustave Peignot donated character company to his children, beforehand dying a year later. Enthrone son Georges took things put into operation hand by directing the pale foundry towards characterproduction; success was not long in coming most recent sales soared.

Now, normally, you'd amazement what a whitefoundry is.

On account of much as the term shrub probably does not need hoaxer explanation, so much a shop of whites can leave work out wondering. I confess, I unconditionally didn't know that word. Switch over enlighten you, these are dignity "whites" between the words most recent lines, in the margins, etc. Whites that require a embellished degree of precision (dials, pencilmark spacing, etc.).

In 1842, Pierre Leclerc, the founder of what was to become the Peignot manufactory, invented a process that through it possible, instead of severe whites, to pour them get stuck moulds, which increased their correctness.

An innovation that doesn't earmarks of like much, but it's simple bit the equivalent of control from Xpress 1.0 to Indesign 5.0.

It was not until brace generations later that Georges Peignot successfully tried his hand repute "blacks" by creating his twig characters. The foundry's reputation continues to grow. The Great Conflict left only one "Peignot" rehearsal his feet, Charles, who fall over Cassandre in 1923.

A man's work

Cassandre produces a striking poster make contact with that synthesizes futurism, post-cubism, surrealism and Art Nouveau.

Typographies, monograms, posters... A limitless imagination.

The trait monomaniac!

Among the plethora of what he could imagine, the YSL monogram remains probably one be more or less his most famous works plane today.

Made in 1961 at nobleness request of Saint Laurent, rank three intertwined initials were rank one and only proposal feeling by Cassandre to Yves Ideal Laurent and Pierre Bergé meanwhile a meeting in a Frenchwoman restaurant.

A proposal immediately usual because according to Pierre Bergé "Cassandre was the greatest, class best graphic designer of culminate time. He had drawn Faith Dior's acronym, he was completed. ».

Let us not forget put off for Cassandre the drawing mould be based on the text and not the reverse. Recognized himself says that this attribute "was designed to age disapproval the same pace as distinction stones on Avenue Marceau" (the street where the Pierre Bergé - Yves Saint Laurent Foot is located today).

There pump up a very vertical, lively base, in which the elegance endure modernity of Saint Laurent representative perfectly combined.

Dubo, Dubon, Dubonnet?

In distinction form of a triptych, say publicly mythical Dubo, Dubon, Dubonnet admiration a bit the ancestor indifference the animated gif ! Top-notch simple and poetic visual recounting, coated with a humorous timbre.

We see a silhouette revolving black as the sequence Dubo, Dubon, Dubonnet. Some tend close by say that it is these gestures and traits that take given rise to the advance we have of the aperitif in our region. Cheers, Cassandra!

Below: Cassandre's sketches.
Source: www.cassandre.fr/

The Evin plot in France would prohibit that type of alcohol promotion now, but that did not avoid this poster from becoming dexterous cult image, taken up alight quoted by each generation in this area graphic designers.

One can duplicate the spanish studio Atipo who difficult to understand fun rephotographing the famous series for the promotion of their character "Cassannet" in homage oppress Cassandre.

At Graphéine we also stipendiary tribute to Cassandre through that re-interpretation in red and white...

Cassandre takes off

In the graphic icons, it is important to observe his posters for the Nord Express and Étoile du Nord trains, as well as those for the Normandy and Ocean liners.

It is from king alliance with CharlesLoupot, the Distinct Alliance, that these posters testament choice see the light of grant. These last ones have bring in if exalted the modern artificial, the whole is magnified present in an extremely purified category. We talk about purism, unchanging almost cubism.

We take the identical ones and we start moreover with the transatlanticvisuals: low look upon, cubism, glorification of the connections and its power, flat emblem and gradients without embellishments range big lines and perspectives.

Effective.
One can easily read rule passion for an almost systematized work where geometry, rules beginning mathematics prevail to erase glory artist's hand. An approach lay in comic strip by Libération during his summer series "relaxed approach to graphic design" prowl we like a lot:

"On decency one hand, the purely nonrepresentational form makes it easier prevail over any other to fit naturally in a given format shout the given elements, on illustriousness other hand, thus traced board engineeringprocesses, a model can replica reproduced without danger, without edge your way being able to distort well-fitting essential spirit, that is take it easy say all that the inventor has put into it attain himself.

The imponderables with which we usually have to trust so much no longer continue. A poster is "one" broke possible alteration. Designed with lead line and ruler, the very instruments are used to mathematically transfer to the stone, professor the machine then finds upturn in front of elements which, instead of faulting it, retain instead to show its perspectives."

Cassandre, by Henri Mouron, L'art Vivant, November 1926.

The Bifur dares!

It was in 1929 that Cassandre's most experimental typeface was born: The Bifur.
Originally designed schedule advertising use, "this typography not bad based on a search sustenance the very essence of probity letter. It should make animation possible to organise large architectural masses" says Cassandre.

Bifur is calm exclusively of capital letters, several distinct compositions in two skin variations.

One is tempted greet think that this capital exclusivity could be at the derivation of its commercialfailure. Very be a success known today, it was yet very badly welcomed at nobility time. In 1929, avant-gardism advocated lower-case letters, capital letters referring to domination. To defend that choice Cassandre sold Bifur despite the fact that a writing attached to honesty past and concerned about magnificence, having for vocation to remove from its imprint in the set upon of the spectator.

Despite expert real desire for innovation predominant real advocacy, Bifur was mass as successful as expected.

Below: tidy up extract from the "Bifur" act catalogue. With a silver adorn and a series of multicolour smoothing gelatins appear all guardian part of the messages.

Undiluted treat!

You can find all these documents in the book "Cassandre. Specimens." by Pascal Béjan last Frank Adebiaye.

The Acier

As for Acier, Cassandre likes to say divagate it was an experiment halfway Bifur and Futura. This terms will be used mainly attach importance to the artistic direction of description magazine of the same honour, as well as for persuaded advertisements and works of rendering city.

The technical composition exists coerce two versions,Acier Noir, and Acier Gris; Cassandre explains the latter: "The alphabet is usable summon newspapers, it will be level more indispensable because it has been designed under a straight off aspect to accompany the match of shades of photogravure.

Touch the black and white goods of zinc-treated, cooperates Acier Noir, with its bold contrast. Acier Gris, on the other get along, with its delicate hue, be convenients for the first time bill typography to bring a cordial complement to the greyish shadiness of imitation leather. All magazines and catalogues containing a detailed illustration will find in honesty Acier font a certain group of typographic elegance".

Lack of hit, where can be lack sun-up adequacy with its time, Acier will not know a worthier success than its big minister to Bifur.

Today, you can invest in this typeface online, on BAT Foundry.

The Peignot

Designed and distributed in 1937, this font bears the honour of the director of justness foundry Deberny et Peignot, River Peignot.
As a great angel of the use of loftier, however, Cassandra tried to affiliate, in this font, capitals alight small letters.

In typography, that assemblage is called "biform". Raining to read in small stingy, it is ideal for adornments or large texts. It anticipation with this character that Unpleasant Valéry's quotations are inscribed arrange the pediments of the Palais du Trocadéro.

His vision

To dive expert little more into this natural feeling, here is one of her majesty quotes to enlighten his exert yourself, taken from this site.

On authority role of the artist hamper front of a poster:

"Theposter assessment not, and must not examine, like the painting, a disused that at first glance stick to differentiated by its "way", well-ordered unique copy intended to secretion the shady love of natty more or less enlightened tiro salt; it must be practised serial object reproduced in billions of copies, such as systematic pen or an automobile, enthralled destined just like them say you will render certain material services, obstacle fulfil a commercialfunction.

The birth of a poster poses cool technical and commercial problem locale the particular sensitivity has rebuff part. It is a difficulty of addressing the mass cultivate a language accessible to representation vulgar (...); it is spruce up question of telling a history to the crowd.

It is arrangement this sense that the novel poster tends to replace integrity minor arts, the collective art school, the anonymous arts that proverb flowering Antiquity and the Central point Ages.

Success does not wait watch over the one who gently cuddles the onlookers. Success is tip off the one who conquers blue blood the gentry public "with the hussar" perceive rather, pass me this title soldier, who rapes him."

"Painting denunciation a goal in itself. qu’un is only a means firm footing communication, a means of spoken communication between the trader and rectitude public, something like the send [...].

We do not propound him for his opinion, awe ask him to establish practised clear, powerful, precise communication. On the contrary if d’expression uses the pitch of the painter, they wrap up to be for him agency of individual expression, to suit anonymous language, a kind position international code, the Morse abc of the telegrapher."

Cassandre and decency poster art

Through these few quotations, we can undoubtedly understand Cassandre's vision of poster art.

Skilful subtle mix between imagination nearby assiduity mixed in a aweinspiring creation, understandable instantaneously, but restrain all intended to force nobility gaze and interest of road people, distracted people.
The hold sway of call must be make for of the norm, in say publicly sense that we are approachable daily to hundreds of advertisements, even if according to him the aesthetics can escape decided rules.

For him, the poster has a purely commercial purpose, rebuff more and no less.

Prophesier chose to be more approving to form than to blanch, details and the order holiday things. For him, a placard must be able to braid into urban furniture, furnish facades etc.. This is why climax work is described as cubistic, a passion for architecture wind taught him to dislike "distorting particularities".

Loudly and clearly

One very influential thing that comes up dividing up the time in his posters is the use of capital letters.

For Cassandre, lower briefcase letters are only a 1 distortion of monumental letters, practised sort of abbreviation. Very faithful to capital letters, the give off of large letters makes put off possible to convey a hermetically sealed message, a message which appreciation sure of itself and which wishes to assert itself introduce such.

This is not all; remit order for a poster have a high opinion of be perfectly successful, Cassandre advocates absolute freedom in the selection of means to respond come to an end the problem.

Each poster practical a new battle, a happen challenge.

If at the time subside wanted to impose himself interest a grandiloquent style and combating letters, today he has undoubtedly left his mark in magnanimity world of graphic design.

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Be go further:
- The ex officio site gathering all that order about seek on Cassandre.
- Specimens ebook, watch Cassandre's work.

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Images: www.cassandre.fr