French-Ukrainian painter, lithographer and visual savant Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron, better known as A. M. Cassandre (1901-1968), is one of most well-known and influential graphic designers in history. He is best known for his posters depicting objects which are made to stand out through the use of bold geometry and witty pictorial drama. Cassandre's work is generally Art Deco, though in some of his work we can see the influence of styles such as Cubism and Futurism. The philosophy behind his work was a simple one: telling a story through a poster by using simplistic design and block letters so that even the common man on the street could understand it. Cassandre was the first graphic designer to simplify his designs so that they could be read from fast moving vehicles, and also being the first to introduce the idea of serial posters - a group of posters to be seen in rapid succession to convey a complete idea.
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| Dubo Dubon Dubonnet (1932) |
Dubo Dubon Dubonnet is probably Cassandre's most famous work. He designed this three-part poster for the French aperitif 'Dubonnet' in 1932. It represents a man drinking the aperitif, depicted in three different stages in the form of a cinematic sequence, with the word DUBONNET placed under each panel. This in itself already shows motion. In the first panel, the man is looking at the glass. One can notice that the first image consists mainly of the outline of the figure. In the same way, the word DUBONNET is incomplete, with only DUBO shown in black. the next panel shows the progression of the man as he drinks; he is filled with colour and the words now show DUBON. The final panel depicts the man emptying the bottle, with the full name of the aperitif - DUBONNET - now showing. Cassandre's use of repetition evokes rhythm in the piece, with a sense of motion being created through the cinematic representation of the panels. One can also note the sweeping lines and forms used to convey movement, which allow the clarity and simplicity of the objects to work hand in hand with simplicity of the colour palette. Through this interplay of form, colour, words and picture, Cassandre was sure to capture the attention of all the passers-by that rushed around the city.
References:
Micheal Johnson. Cassandre: Art Deco Poster Designer [online]. Available at <http://arthistory.knoji.com/cassandre-art-deco-poster-designer/> [Accessed 28th October, 2013]
Mickey Ross, 2012. A Flesh and Blood Recreation of the Famous Triptych “Dubo, Dubon, Dubonnet” [online]. Available at <http://rossartgroup.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/a-flesh-and-blood-recreation-of-dubo-dubon-dubonnet/ > [Accessed 28th October, 2013]
Tannah Shukri, 2011. Art Deco and Artists [online]. Available at <http://tannahshukri-historyofdesign.blogspot.com/2011/12/art-deco-and-artists.html > [Accessed 28th October, 2013]
Art Factory. Cassandre [online]. Available at <http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/graphic_designers/cassandre.htm> [Accessed 28th October, 2013]
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, 2013. COLLECTION - A.M. CASSANDRE: DUBO, DUBON, DUBONNET, 1932 [online]. Available at <http://www.smcs.nl/en/artwork/8856-dubo-dubon-dubonnet> [Accessed 28th October, 2013]
Image source: http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/graphic_designers/cassandre/dubo.jpg
