If Famous Graphic Artists Were Web Designers…
Styles in design are described and classified in many ways. Sometimes they are given a moniker, like “Web 2.0,” other times they are referred to by their appearance: grungy, minimalist, retro, big type. The people (and brands) to which modern design styles are attributed are as numerous as the styles themselves. Many designers look to a brand such as Apple as an example of great modern design because a designer’s sensibility is infused into everything it does.
Even though many current styles and trends can be connected to recent design pieces, they do not originate there. So much modern design originated before computers and the Web were even a glimmer in the eye of their creators.
Looking back and drawing inspiration from very early graphic and print design is a current trend nowadays, but that is not the beginning of the story. As you go further back, you’ll find groundbreaking design decades, even a century, ago. In this article we’ll explore inspirational paintings and artists who have influenced modern design. In reading this article, you will see some true evolution in design.
Where Art Meets Design
The term “graphic design” was coined in 1922 by one of the first modern designers, William Addison Dwiggins. He described himself as, “[an] individual who brings structural order and visual form to printed communications.” This seems to be where art meets design. Design is for communicating and achieving a specific goal. Today, the goal is often to market and sell products or services through design, whether by packaging a product, building a brand or creating a Web experience.
So, is design today merely art created for the express purpose of generating profit? One could argue that great artists in history created their own art for profit. Michelangelo‘s Scenes from Genesis on the Sistine Chapel and Leonardo da Vinci‘s great work The Last Supper were both commissioned by the church. Today, we regard their work as innovative and embodiments of the Renaissance, but we forget they were also created for profit.
We like to think of great artists as purely motivated individuals who are driven to express themselves or transform our perception of the world. Colors, textures and composition are part of their process of self-discovery and reflect the aesthetics of the time. Modern designers are no different. Even though a particular design may be intended to communicate the message of a corporation, it still reflects the world around us, and the designer has left their mark on it.
Art History Found Today
The best art in history was unprecedented and transcended its time. It sometimes seems as if the artists were conscious of future generations enjoying their work. Their compositions, colors, and styles don’t just hang on gallery walls today. They are all around us, in everything from shoes to album covers.
Piet Mondriaan
Piet Mondriaan, Composition with Red, Yellow, and Blue, 1927
Mondriaan’s influence seen today: Chiasso Windows Vase
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol, Orange Car Crash Fourteen Times, 1963
Warhol’s influence seen today: Soho Brewery Packaging
Yves Klein
Yves Klein, IKB 191, 1962
Klein’s influence seen today: Chanel Purse in “Klein Bleu”
Robert Irwan
Robert Irwin, Untitled, 1968
Irwin’s influence seen today: ISST Organic Ice Tea Packaging
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol, Banana, 1966
Warhol’s influence seen today: Royal Elastics’ Andy Warhol Shoes
Frank Stella
Frank Stella, The Marriage of Reason and Squalor, II, 1959
Stella’s influence seen today: ASKUL Branding
Yayoi Kusama
Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Dots H.R.T, 2001
Kusama’s influence seen today: The Killers Album Art
If Famous Painters Were Web Designers
What if these great masters were alive today? What if they were using a mouse instead of a brush, RGB instead of mixed oils and a computer screen instead of linen canvas. If these famous artists were alive now, these are the websites they might have designed.
Yves Klein
Yves Klein, IKB 191, 1962
A website Klein might have designed: Britain Rocks
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol, Knives, 1981-82
A website Warhol might have designed: Carsonified
David Alfaro Siqueiros
David Alfaro Siqueiros, Collective Suicide, 1936
A website Siqueiros might have designed: Snagt
Lyubov Popova
Lyubov Popova, Painterly Architectonic, 1917
A website Popova might have designed: Douglas Menezes
Claude Monet
Claude Monet, Impression, Sunrise, 1872
A website Monet might have designed: Viget Inspire
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse, La Gerbe, 1953
A website Matisse might have designed: Devia
Paul Klee
Paul Klee, Fish Magic, 1925
A website Klee might have designed: Ali Felski
Basquiat
Basquiat, Pegasus, 1987
A website Basquiat might have designed: Orange Label
Joan Mitchell
Joan Mitchell, Untitled, 1960
A website Mitchell might have designed: Siete De Febrero
Georges Braque
Georges Braque, Fruit Dish, 1908-09
A website Braque might have designed: Belvoir Fruit Farms
Hans Hoffmann
Hans Hoffmann, Bald Eagle, 1950
A website Hoffmann might have designed: Funny Garbage
Basquiat
Basquiat, Beat Bop, 1983
A website Basquiat might have designed: Starbucks Coffee At Home
A Closer Look At Six Great Artists
If asked to name a few great artists, someone might first think of Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. Many other great artists, though, have shown their influence on modern design. Below are six artists who are unique, innovative and ahead of their time.
Piet Mondriaan
Piet Mondriaan (1872-1944) was a Dutch artist known for clean, grid-style paintings. His later compositions, which may initially look simple, took him months to paint. Each element, from the rectangles to the lines, are composed with precision, with careful attention paid to thickness and width. Mondriaan’s work has influenced the design of modern architecture, print layouts, linoleum and, of course, the minimalist style in modern design.
Rhythm of Black Lines, 1935-42
Broadway Boogie Woogie, 1942-43
Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was an American artist known for graffiti-influenced and early grunge-style paintings. He started out as a graffiti artist in New York City and later sold postcards and the like along with his artwork on the streets. His painting career took off, and he became known for his use of text and images from popular culture, as well as painting on found objects. Basquiat has been credited with bringing the African-American and Latino experience to the art world.
Self-Portrait, 1982
Per Capita, 1983
Yves Klein
Yves Klein (1928-1962) was a French artist known for his minimalist monochromatic paintings, featuring his signature deep blue. He worked with blue extensively in his early career and, in 1958, began to use it as a dominant element, making the color itself the art.
International Klein Blue (IKB) is the deep blue hue first mixed by Yves Klein. It is outside the color gamut of computer displays, so it cannot be shown accurately in digital format.
La Vague, 1957
Joan Miró
Joan Miró (1893-1983) was a Spanish artist known for an abstract, collage-style of painting. He famously declared, “I want to assassinate painting.” Miró wanted to upset the traditional and popular styles of art. He was against art for the sake of propaganda or to give the wealthy a cultural identity. Miró tried not to associate himself with any specific art styles or movements. His bold compositions and fresh thinking have influenced many great modern designers.
Hand Catching a Bird, 1926
L’Oro dell’Azzurro, 1935
El Lissitzky
Lazar Markovich Lissitzky (1890-1941) was a Russian artist known for his geometric and early graphic-design style. He was a versatile artist who worked in close to a dozen fields, from painting to architectural design. He influenced the Bauhaus and De Stijl (Mondriaan) movements. His artwork and production techniques heavily influence commercial art and modern design today.
Beat the White with the Red Wedge, 1919
Self-Portrait, 1914
Gustav Klimt
Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) was an Austrian artist known for his decorative paintings that make heavy use of gold and provocative symbolism. He is one of the founders of the Vienna Art Nouveau (Vienna Secession) movement. He is known for his “Golden Phase,” which is characterized by gold leaves and influences ranging from Byzantine to Egyptian. His compositions have symbolic elements that represent such psychological ideas as the “femme fatal.”
The Kiss, 1907
The Tree of Life, 1909
Stepping Back To Move Forward
Inspiration and examples of well-executed designs fill up galleries, blogs and online sources like Flickr. Leading industry magazines such as HOW and Communication Arts show the best of what modern design offers. Many of us look to these sources for ideas and to find the spark for our next masterpiece.
But many designers do not bother looking to works of art from earlier in history. By stepping back in time and walking through an art museum or reading the bio and studying the works of an artist from the past, we can find new ways to approach today’s design challenges.
Danny Houk
August 27th, 2009 12:24 pmPS, kudos to @average joe’s comment a few above mine…. I much agree.
David A
August 27th, 2009 12:33 pmAt the very least, this article provoked many passionate responses. Not surprising considering the personal nature of art.
Having said that, I am dismayed by the rudeness that seems to characterize so many of today’s exchanges, especially on the Web. Belittling others is a quick fix for a low self esteem, eh?
Crayonz
August 27th, 2009 12:33 pmFor me the point was older works of art can inspire modern creativity, here is how that might be the case. Nice post, I dont think the Author was looking to deliver a in depth lesson in art history, and for that I am glad. A good post, light reading and something to take away with me. Nice one, thanks alot.
@Tom Muller. Everyone has the right to express their opinion on a post like this, and I respect your right to do so. My suggestion to you would be to write a better, more accurate and in depth article. I would look forward to reading it. I mean that sincerely, not as an affront to what some may consider a negative comment.
mikesh
August 27th, 2009 12:49 pmgr8 post! it made me read all the comments :) interessting how much some people have to point out the fact that THEY know alot about this topic… made me smile.
anyway thanks for this post
Adam Reece
August 27th, 2009 12:52 pmI think a lot of people who are tearing down this article have missed it by a mile. Take a look at the category. INSPIRATION. I am inspired to look at the great artists of our time and reflect on how I could be inspired by their pieces in my next designs.
This article is not offensive to the artists in any way. How is it offensive to say their work could have inspired this, or inspired that? And I don’t remember reading anywhere in this article that “Fact: Andy Warhol would have designed a website exactly like Carsonified.” Take it easy, it was just a thought and a pretty damn good one in my opinion. Much more inspiring than “Weak”.
I think it was a great thought that Francisco had to say “If Andy Warhol would design a website, what would that look like?” because that opens up a huge avenue of creativity. It’s an attempt to get into the brain of a certain artist and channel some inspiration. This something I think most designers should do. Sounds like a great way to grow to me.
The art elitist should find something better to do with their time. This wasn’t an art history article.
@Tom Muller – Whether you like to admit it or not, you completely missed the mark.
jk2001
August 27th, 2009 1:33 pmThere’s a lot of web-based art out there that’s not commercial. Maybe these painters would have been making sites like those, instead of commercial sites.
sally reed
August 27th, 2009 2:00 pmPretty shallow, guys. Betrays a lack of understanding of the relationship between design and art. In my opinion, artists are better at appreciating and understanding good design than designers are at understanding and appreciating fine art. I’m a member of both camps, so….
ross
August 27th, 2009 2:16 pm“Killers album art” is of course Paul Normansell. Much of his art is entirely, or in part, dot based. I’ve no idea if he cites Kusama directly.
Tom Muller
August 27th, 2009 2:23 pm@Francisco —
I apologize if my comment came off as harsh. What I meant by the “higher standard” is that because of the big readership this blog has — and (I will generalize) most comments on articles are of a “Thanks! I learned something new!” nature (which in itself is not a bad thing), even when you present them with information that is far fetched and not really accurate. I don’t expect, or need to read ‘deep articles on Picasso’s Blue Period’ for it be valid content, but at the same time comparing circles Irwin painted with bottle packaging which happens to feature similar circles and claim its inspired by that (or any other painting featuring circles) is oversimplifying a design and reaching for a connection to illustrate your point.
Again, I get the goal of the article, but I disagree with the majority of the examples and rhetoric you use.
Caesar Tjalbo
August 27th, 2009 2:32 pm@ Francisco Inchauste
I called it weak and I do it again but thanks for pointing out that Piet Mondriaan and Andy Warhol had a strong influence on art today. Have you heard of Vincent van Gogh by any chance?
Re-read my comment, I think I got the idea of your post but your examples suck.
It’s good to remind people of the past, especially when it comes to the origin of ideas.
But.
The Chanel purse already contains a direct reference to the original artist. The shoes with Warhol’s banana are unlikely to be seen as “oh wow how cute, somebody put a banana on a shoe!!111!!!!!” That particular banana is part of the world’s cultural reference by now; more people know the image than know that it originally graced an album cover.
I have no doubt Paul Klee would have loved to design websites and work with other digital media. Now, would you please compare the given example of http://alifelski.com/ with 10 (whatever, 1 will do actually) randomly chosen paintings by Klee and explain to me, very slowly, on what tiny bit of inspiration the webdesigner got stuck whilst completely ignoring that other aspect of Klee’s work namely ‘color’? Oh wait, it’s already obvious from the example you’ve given.
Starbucks: carefully created type, carefully divided lay-out. Basquiat: carefully created type, carefully divided lay-out. What have the two in common: well, it’s light on dark but not much else. See also Matisse vs. Devia, it’s bright colors on white but not much else.
Weak.
Louis
August 27th, 2009 2:55 pmUnless any critics here are willing to provide an intelligently written response article, then you have no case. Claiming something is “weak” or “obvious” is not an argument — It’s a shallow opinion. Sure, Francisco’s point here may also be characterized as a shallow opinion by some, however there is a more polite way to say “I don’t think this works”. (I’m not talking about you, Tom Muller, you’ve been gracious in apologizing and explaining yourself)
And let’s not forget that it’s just one artist’s opinion, not the full views of SM or web designers in general. So let’s all take a valium and appreciate the effort involved in writing this article, which by the way is provided FREE of charge to all SM readers! After you express some appreciation in a polite manner, then maybe you’ll be in a position to provide valuable criticism that will be taken seriously.
Lock Zackary
August 27th, 2009 5:19 pmim really impressed whoa
not that somebody got too much freetime to do such a wide research lols
but its really a nice find
Paul
August 27th, 2009 5:21 pmI enjoyed this post. great idea.
kilinkis
August 27th, 2009 5:23 pmone of the best posts ever
Lelia Thomas
August 27th, 2009 5:38 pmGreat post! And yeah, this pretty well proves there are no original ideas.
Lelia Thomas
August 27th, 2009 5:38 pmAnd just to clarify, I don’t mean that in a negative way.
kevin
August 27th, 2009 5:44 pmJust awesome guys!
Eduardo
August 27th, 2009 6:49 pmArtist did profit from their work
smalllotus
August 27th, 2009 7:50 pmcommercial website design connect with art~
nice~
John
August 27th, 2009 7:54 pmGreat post – very interesting and informative. I enjoyed reading this.
Anrkist
August 27th, 2009 8:16 pmI don’t get it.
yoxx
August 27th, 2009 8:36 pmwonderful post, interesting and informative thats way we enjoyed reading this.. ;)
Simon Gibson
August 27th, 2009 9:29 pmA couple of New Zealand artists that people might find inspiring:
Gordon Walters: Gordon Walters.
and
Colin McCahon: Colin McCahon.
Edgar Leijs
August 27th, 2009 9:33 pmThis is what i really like :-)… Off course Webdesign has it’s roots in Graphic Design, Print Design and … Art!!!
Pieter
August 27th, 2009 10:15 pmDon’t agree with most of the comparisons.
There is much more to art than what meets the eye, and that’s about it the authors compares to.
ortega
August 27th, 2009 10:16 pmThere is always a “great” artist acclaimed behind any style, even when the style or the work is not great. We always need to be hit by a form of Stendhal syndrome just to make headlines.
Dayanithi
August 27th, 2009 10:32 pmI dont know how could SM can come out with such great stuff and article like this.
amazing!!!. SM,……. keep going.
I love SM.
wanjaw
August 27th, 2009 10:33 pminteresting articles,good creative~
rob
August 27th, 2009 10:33 pmwow GREAT POST!!!
congratulations, by far my favorite!
Keith
August 27th, 2009 11:33 pmIt is a great post and will form the basis of something similar I am giving a talk on soon. I agree most design companies, be it web or traditional, don’t go back that far for inspiration. I wrote a short piece on my blog called Creative Block, have a look and see if it resonates with you?
http://www.kmidigital.com/KMi-Digital-Blog/August-2009/Creative-Block—What-do-you-do-.aspx
daf
August 27th, 2009 11:52 pmi agree with those who say: GREAT POST! inspirationary! nice painting, obvious, and very nice design works..!
although i agree also with the fact that it’s not “if-famous-painters-were-web-designers”…
summin’ up… i liked it a lot!!! :D
Danny
August 27th, 2009 11:59 pmI´m in the not convinced boat, as soon as I saw the title I knew this one was headed for controversey!This article was pretty weak for me as well, I thought the same as alot of people when I first read the article, that it was very poorly researched and more or less just a “pastiche”. However after reading Francisco´s replies here in the comments it seems that the research was there, and he did actually establish a chain of influence in at least some of the examples, What´s dissapointing is that this was not presented in the article! I mean to do all that research and identify influences only to post some thing like;
“Irwin’s influence seen today: ISST Organic Ice Tea Packaging”
Is not really helpful is it?
I didn´t like this article, but I could have, Francisco, please share your research with us in the future, or just do a “top 20 websites that look like famous painters paintings” post.
Thanks anyway.
lisa
August 28th, 2009 12:28 amnice post, always get a lot from you.
Klaus R. Zweydinger
August 28th, 2009 2:06 amOh. This is where designers heart beats…
Thank you, Mr. Francisco…
Andrew
August 28th, 2009 2:33 amBizarre… this is a wafer thin article attempting to align modernist and pop art imagery with web design by comparing the likes of Warhol’s orange car crash with the soho brewery branding – or to say that he could have designed the Carsonified site! Utter rubbish. There’s no substance here whatsoever, and it reads very much like an undergraduate essay.
tods
August 28th, 2009 3:26 amthis really genius post man… totally make us clever! :D :P
r_jake
August 28th, 2009 4:28 amI wonder if the negative opinions here would have been abated if there had been examples of how to practically apply the post’s premise, rather than a list of comparisons, with limited captions or commentary.
If the post is targeted at those without an art or design background, then maybe some suggestions of how to take the work of an artist or designer and develop it in to a design for a web page would have helped. Part II perhaps?
Mike
August 28th, 2009 5:02 amYou are asking young people to study history? Nice try. Most young people don’t know what happen before 1996.
Mark
August 28th, 2009 5:10 amLoved the post, thank you for sharing!
toqueboy
August 28th, 2009 5:14 amthis is not a “great post” as so many have said. this is art history 101 and a poor article explaining art and design influence, which has a long rich intermixed history. people who say this is a good article, need to educate themselves better about both art and design. no offense, but this article shouldn’t have made it past the editors — with flair it combines both a lack of knowledge of art history and a tangential understanding of design, at best.
Lauren
August 28th, 2009 7:04 amNice! This was like a mini refresher course in Art History. I especially liked the section of the article showing how these artists could’ve created web designs. It just goes to show that if you really do study artists from the past it can influence beautiful designs in anything you do. And by the way, one of my favorite artists is Herb Lubalin. I just love the logos he designed, and I try to incorporate the curves and swashes into some work that I do. =)
Seika
August 28th, 2009 7:16 amBeing from non-design background, I failed to understand the significance of what made an artist’s design… their style, and thus the justification of why the article claim a site design is of the same style.
From the comparison, I only grasped the picture and colour, but what about the content layoutting or even the boxes (some samples looks just like design used in many place but with specific background and colour scheme slapped in)
Christopher Rees
August 28th, 2009 7:42 amAs someone who went to art school, and studied art history (I’m not an expert by any means, but I did take those classes) I think the post isn’t bad. I don’t think all the examples are spot on, the brewery example is a massive stretch! :)
However, blog posts are made for several reasons…
1) To invoke a response – which this one certainly did, bravo!
2) To inspire thought – Which this one certainly did as people ponder what is and what isn’t a good example, where connections lie, etc.
I think often times people tend to look at the written word, especially in blog posts as offerings of irrefutable facts. This isn’t the encyclopedia, it’s not Wall Street Journal or anything of the sort where every word is assumed to be 100% factual. It’s a blog post with one author’s opinions. I certainly agree everyone is free to agree or disagree, but to bash someone who took the time and effort put this together, to inspire thought and invoke responses is missing the point a bit.
If this were a tech article on how to script something or use a piece of software, and it was riddled with inaccuracies I could see decrying it’s value. But this is nothing more than one person’s opinion designed to invoke some thought and audience participation.
At the very least, offer kudos for taking the time and effort to put the article together.
Smashing Magazine is one of my favorite blogs, keep up the great work!
Thauna
August 28th, 2009 8:23 amAwesome post! Now I need to go create something…I feel inspired!
See-ming Lee
August 28th, 2009 8:25 amThis is a great post, seeing the relationship from fine art to design. / SML
Alexander Bickov
August 28th, 2009 8:46 amAmazing works
tetra
August 28th, 2009 9:21 amI had no idea there were so many ass-kissing bots on SM! I’m gonna go ahead and agree with everyone that this was a shoddy attempt at making something look legitimate when it isn’t.
To say these sites were inspired is a stretch — I’ve made sites very similar to those shown listed and I don’t even enjoy fine art.. no less was I thinking “How would x do this?” There is no consistency between a good portion of the original references and the “knock-offs” besides those directly taken from the artist (ie Klein/Warhol) and using those examples makes this argument even more weak.
Artists are not designers.
Designers are not artists.
I know we’d both like to think we’re a bit of both but when it comes down to the fundamentals and what makes us tick — what makes us do what we do — they are for two different reasons. Artists primarily do it for themselves, designers primarily do it for others.
Designers work in boundaries that artists would never be able to deal with and there’s nothing wrong with that — some of us need structure and some of us don’t.
However this post just cries “trying too hard,” and in all honesty, I think both the artists and the designers who were compared to each other would likely be disgruntled at such assumptions. Personally if I were the designer for any of these sites/products I’d be pretty pissed that you had the audacity to say I didn’t bust my ass trying to be somewhat unique and instead assumed I jacked my ideas from someone I’d never even heard of.
tetra
August 28th, 2009 9:29 am@Christopher Rees / others claiming that the author put a lot of effort into “compiling this” and should be applauded:
It’s easy to pull a list together in your spare time if you’re getting paid:
Of course! The amount of money depends on the volume of the article and its quality. Before the article goes live we make sure both sides agree upon the publishing & payment conditions. It is also possible to put a link to the author’s web-site.
Sam
August 28th, 2009 11:46 amvery good idea!
Anderson
August 28th, 2009 1:09 pmWay to go SM… you’ve just proved that the majority of your readers have no clue about art history.
Rolando Peralta
August 28th, 2009 1:13 pmI’ve been studying fine arts since 13 years old, so it’s quite refreshing to see and read this kind of comparison. I’m more than agree with it, it’s a great post! The best comparisons of all are Piet Mondriaan’ and Georges Braque’s.
By the way, Gustav Klimt is my fav.
Kelen
August 28th, 2009 1:43 pmA lot of them make sense.
Nice post
ByColor
August 28th, 2009 1:47 pmMy favourite comment: Christopher Rees.
And I liked the article.
Diana
August 28th, 2009 2:51 pmThis post is awesome!
Markus
August 28th, 2009 11:52 pmThis is a bit far fetched imho.
susana
August 29th, 2009 4:36 amVery informative!
Socea Cristian
August 29th, 2009 1:12 pmattractive post, smashing one :)
Alex Alonzo
August 29th, 2009 7:09 pmLiked the article. My only gripe is that you insist in calling the guy Mondriaan. He dropped the extra “a” from his name in 1912. I think he would like us to do the same.
Mahmudur Rahman
August 29th, 2009 7:33 pmInteresting Article , keep posting Francisco… excellent art with web designing
barroyo
August 30th, 2009 5:53 amVery good article.
When referring to art, the words “influence” and “inspiration” don’t mean an attempt at copying or imitating. Commenting naysayers are missing the point that the work of fine artists of the caliber of Gaugin or Mondrian (only one a, please) permeates today’s culture and has defined and has become part of our collective visual vocabulary. Artists and designers pick up the queues from the culture that surrounds them; including the work of influential artists that came before them.
As far as the comment about artists not being designers and designers not being artists, what that apparent truism is missing is the fact that effective visual communication must be built on familiar points of reference. Some fine artists have been so influential that they have created or defined points of reference that designers can’t help but lean on.
Matt
August 30th, 2009 12:48 pmPosts like this make me stop visiting this site. It makes me trust the source less and less. Stick to what you know. Some of the ‘inspirations’ were actually ‘homages’ which would probably mean you’re better off trying to find other works by the artist who did the homage, as they clearly like the artist they’re respecting enough to be inspired by them. I agree with the above comment stating that the inspiration comes from the inherent style our culture has grown accustom to, but to put these things side by side and say ‘look, close huh?’ makes me feel like you’re putting some of these average websites up beside some masterpieces.
Isa
August 30th, 2009 2:30 pmThose who do not study history are doomed to repeat it. I saw the faceplate of a vintage 70s radio in the layout of a website the other day. The web designer is the new black sheep, informally educated, experimental designer that characterized the 90s (think Raygun).
Dom
August 30th, 2009 4:40 pmLoving the posts from the art history squeakers on here. I’m reminded of a quote from a stonemason on my fine art course … “If you want to make art what the f**k are you doing here?”. Nothing annoys me worse than the pathetic squibbles of people who think they can plump up their egos by dissing somebody else’s perception of what they consider good by calling up a reference to some other jumped up talentless no-mark’s preconception of an artist’s work… We aren’t fools – we know theft when we see it, we also recognise inspiration and know the difference. The websites cited aren’t art, but then neither are most of the websites, posters, brochures, tv adverts, illustrations, commercial art, logos, product designs, architectural drawings, photographs or doodles which most of us who read SM produce. That doesn’t mean we cannot draw inspiration, and who the f**k gives you idiots the right to say that X did not derive inspiration from Y? The article perhaps takes a liberty in saying that the website/product in question deliberately pre-supposes (or indeed directly references) the artwork but who’s going to argue semantics? This is about inspiration, not words. Nice article SM – more of the same (but maybe under the SM*ART banner ;-] ) … gonna have to trademark that SM*ART thing…
shweta
August 31st, 2009 12:01 amAwesome collection. Really.
Rajesh Trilokhria
August 31st, 2009 2:26 amSuper :-))
schizoos
August 31st, 2009 6:21 amThis article is so wonderfull! I didn’t know how many inspiration we can take from the older artists. Thanks!
Maicon
August 31st, 2009 6:24 amIncredible!
Jeff
August 31st, 2009 6:50 amI hate to be a naysayer but most of those connections seem tenuous at best.
Amit Prakash
August 31st, 2009 6:50 amVery Nice! I like the way you have linked the two up. Really interesting article.
Andrei Scarlatescu
September 1st, 2009 12:11 pmKinves –> Carsonified haha, I loved that!
nihil
September 2nd, 2009 1:42 am“…who the f**k gives you idiots the right to say that X did not derive inspiration from Y…”
Nearly two decades of international art practice, a post graduate degree, and a continuing dedication to research across many kinds of visual and literary communication. And an ability to trust my own instincts….
“Judo has helped me to understand that pictorial space is above all the product of spiritual exercises. Judo is in fact the discovery by the human body of a spiritual space.” Yves Klein.
If anyone can convincingly explain how “Britain Rocks” is a form that attempts to articulate the relationship between the corporeal and the transcendent, rather than being an attempt to capitalise on nationalist sentiment, then I’ll happily retract my previous description of it.
And as for the nature of ‘influence’ it is simply not good enough to point at an Yves Klein Anthropometry (mistitled as IKB 191, by the way), and say “oh yeah, this blue website has got a bit of montage in it, so Yves Klein would have made something like this”. I’m sorry but that insults the intelligence of this community on so many different levels, its really quite discourteous.
Style is a nebulous concept, but its not just about how something looks….
Merman
September 3rd, 2009 8:11 amWow nihil, so you are you saying this amazing biography makes your opinion better than the rest? I don’t think so.
“If anyone can convincingly explain how “Britain Rocks” is a form that attempts to articulate the relationship between the corporeal and the transcendent…”No even CARES to discuss that relationship. This is Smashing Magazine, not some snobby art show, which apparently you’ve just stepped out of. Style and inspiration are relative. The definitions of style I’ve seen relate to aesthetics over content. As a designer I get inspiration in a visual sense. It might be the use of color, or a type treatment. The point is we don’t have to know Klein’s inner thoughts to think the montage aspect of the painting could be an element we’d like to explore in a design.
“…insults the intelligence of this community…really quite discourteous.” Ah yes, I imagine that is why this was written, to slap all the readers in the face. You’re right, the intention of the article was not to show some visual similarities of art in design today.
Barry Barrington
September 3rd, 2009 12:35 pmWell this is about the silliest post I think I’ve read on this site. *thumbs down* Can’t win’em all I guess.
Fuad Ahasan Chowdhury
September 5th, 2009 7:14 amthats a great share.. :) cheer
David Boni
September 5th, 2009 1:58 pmAre you kidding? Why are you trying to imply fake inspirational leads for some of those websites? Did the author of this post email any of those sites’ designers and ask “What inspired you?” That would’ve made for a much more interesting article than to view some GREAT pieces of art through such a narrow-minded filter.
Bacardo
September 6th, 2009 7:34 pmvery interesting comparison, creative and smart.
regards!
udl
September 11th, 2009 11:56 amexcellent article. I would like to read something from the author about kandinsky’s influence on web design. I think kandinsky truly inspired a web design style. any commnents?
Khoi Nguyen
September 14th, 2009 9:37 amSo interesting to see the resemblances between the artists and the designs.
Ashely Adams
September 14th, 2009 9:51 pmI sometimes find it difficult to understand the purpose of posts like this. It’s all very nice, thank you, but what’s the point? The comparisons are stretched and rather personal in nature. Moreover, the influence of great artists can be so profound and diverse that it is difficult to measure it with any appreciable amount of accuracy.
And why go gaga over Warhol alone? Notable exceptions include Van Gogh, Gauguin, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec and about a hundred more! I’m afraid, this is severely incomplete list!
Tha1 Bu1
September 18th, 2009 12:35 pmGreat article but seeing Basquiat and Warhol makes me want to vomit on a canvas and sell it. I’m not too far from what they do. It’s hard for me to appreciate any of their work when nothing they do impresses me. I see nothing aesthetic pleasing about them. They’re overrated and overpriced dribble.
Brendan Stromberger
September 20th, 2009 6:03 pmYeah, not to be a dick or an art history douche, but here goes:
I’m still an undergrad in Fine Arts, but this article really fails to grasp the notions and intentions of these art movements. Comparing Monet to Viget Labs? What a silly comparison…
Moreover, these web sites (and web design in general) is heavily influenced by Swiss-grid-based design. That is to say, this article treats web design as if it is a design paradigm existing in a vacuum, whereas in reality it has roots in real graphic design movements (Bauhaus, Constructivism, Swiss design, minimalism, etc etc)
Bill
September 21st, 2009 10:28 amGreat post, and a great overview of some great influencers of modern art and design. Personally love Basquait’s work, Rothko, and Yves Klein’s IKB is seriously deep when seen in real life.
It might be a good idea to avoid generalist statements such as at the end of the article: “many designers do not bother looking to works of art from earlier in history”. There’s no measurable way to back a statement like that up. I studied art history for 3 years as a part of a bachelor of design studies. I’m not sure what other design related courses include, but I’d lean away from generalizations.
nihil
September 23rd, 2009 4:37 am”No even CARES to discuss that relationship.” Merman
That much is obvious… But if you can’t be bothered to examine such relationships, why get annoyed by those who can. Why not just re-examine your attitude?
Johnson Koh
September 25th, 2009 2:38 amNo matter what, this is a great post. Thanks!
Derik Lolli
October 1st, 2009 1:29 pmFrancisco, great article. I guess I don’t have a real problem with the idea that current web design may be influenced by the great artists of the past. Since most web designers were at one point more than likely in an art history class, it just stands to reason that their art would be inspired directly or indirectly. I love the idea of drawing correlations between famous works and current web trends. I love it because I don’t take it too literally and can sit back and see similarities regardless of how small they would be.
For all the pretentious art history gods on here, lighten up. What a miserable crowd. This is an article on Smashing Magazine meant to promote thought and encourage further research. This isn’t a manifesto outlining artistic absolutes across history and mediums. I don’t need lessons about the underlying philosophical differences between Andy Warhol and Carsonified. Give me a break.
bob
October 7th, 2009 12:49 amBlue i can feel it mmm… its … very nice…
crust
October 10th, 2009 8:20 pmGreat stuff. Tack on one :thumbsup: from me.
t. daniel
October 12th, 2009 6:53 amHonestly, I’m not sure whether the article itself or the flood of ass-kissing that followed is more depressing.
Look -and I say this as a working designer- we’re NOT artists, we’re paid shills (and the indifference/hostility most of the posters have here towards ‘proper’ art and art history shows it.) We’re cogs in a much bigger machine to move product- which is fine. It’s just a job. But please don’t start comparing working designers to artists- it just makes you look like you don’t understand the underpinnings or goals of either.
About as superficial as they come, this article.
@P. Dross: Fair Enough. I don’t think the anger here is really intended to be directed at any of the designers of the sites listed, just Mr. Inchauste. Yours is really an excellent site, and It’s unfortunate you got caught in the crossfire.
Seannachie
October 19th, 2009 1:56 pmYou’re really stretching it trying to connect some designers to famous works of art…
bb
October 28th, 2009 7:19 amI’m unimpressed. Just because something appears screen printed it’s inspired directly by Warhol? I think this was a very uninspired post, not what I’m used to seeing from Smashing.
Raschid Alami-Merrouni
October 28th, 2009 1:34 pmThumbs up from me too – really interesting idea. As a long time graphic artist (mostly in print) moving into web design, I thought the article was absolutely relevant and a good source of inspiration. There’s no need to over-think this. You have to at least appreciate the massive effort.
Tharanga
October 29th, 2009 12:30 amGreat Post. Keep it up..
Kristin Currier
October 29th, 2009 7:27 amAs a traditional artist who does web graphic design to fuel her dreams, I really enjoyed this post. I think the more I learn about web design (I was in print before) the more I’m inspired to make sites that look more like art. This post most certainly helped.
There is a vast and incredibly rich strata of fine art throughout all of history that will help us put a more organic, human face on our technology.
Paul Burton
October 29th, 2009 11:15 amThis article was NOT meant to be a fucking masters dissertation on artistic influences you bunch of niggling panty-waists. It’s one designer’s opinion.
Francisco, you obviously put a whole lot of time into researching and writing this article and I applaud your efforts. FYI: my wife teaches art history at a local design college and was equally impressed.
Fernando Lins
October 29th, 2009 6:47 pmI was brought here by another friend who enjoys your articles, mainly because his knowledge of art is limited. Mine is too, but I’m an art student and I can say that this article is pathetic. The comparisons are stretched so far out of the acceptable. Comparing the work of Matisse to the Devia website or even saying the second was inspired by the first is simply ridiculous. Please stop making things up, there are enough bad designers out there as it is, we don’t need more people learning it all the wrong way on the internet.
Abdul Aziz
September 24th, 2010 9:27 amInteresting Post . Enjoyed every bit of it.
Graham
November 3rd, 2010 6:25 amThis post alludes to the idea that an artist is a generator of styles. It is likely that many of these designs were created without much reference or tacit knowledge of the artists. Particularly as they are adopting styles for branding and not a historical conceptual background that would generally be used to guide artworks.
This says a lot about contemporary ‘global’ society and culture, ideas and visual languages are adopted without any understanding of why they are being referenced apart from they look good. A nineteenth century example would be a designer who holidays in Istanbul and on their return they use motifs discovered in a mosque as the starting point to develop a logo for a bank. The contemorary designer is more likly to be inspired by anything that shifts across their screen. The result may look good but does nothing for the development of meaningful visual identities. The phenomenon is not just western as evident in an exhibition in London on Chinese design. Most of the work looked like an endless parade of western visual styles and consequently totally empty of original ideas.
I would propose a scheme in which a group of designers adopt the theoretical frameworks used by certain artists and see what comes out of it? For example from Dada comes Warhol comes Punk comes Ad-busters? This does not mean copying visual styles but using belief systems to create work. It also requires asking honest questions of yourself before you put pen to paper and not opting for easy stylistic solutions to problems.
jagbuilt
April 9th, 2011 8:31 amOutstanding article! I completely love it. I am doing research for a similar article I am writing about great web designers. Your article is well written and intelligent. Keep up the great work.
Akshay Chauhan
October 20th, 2011 12:33 amSome the artistes mentioned wouldn’t make the exactly the sites given as example.
For example, Andy Warhol if ever made a website it wouldn’t be like Carsonified because the kind of work he did was different of his time.
Carsonified is game changing design but based on same structure.
I bet these artistes would have made their websites on Flash..
Al
December 12th, 2011 10:57 pmGood try, i see why you wanted to create that post. Unfortunately there are lots of big mistakes in your research, as for example Monet and Viget website! OMG!!! How can you think Viget’s designer got inspired by Monet? He did a watercolour website, Monet used oiled and was one of the painters who cut from traditional classicism by inventing impressionism. Nothing to do with watercolour!
Where do you see Braque in the website you present?
Paul Klee/Felski is very true on the contrary, well done for that one.
Starbucks designers didn’t get inspired by Basquia either, but by the fact that cafes present their product on black boards. As simple.
This post deserves to by rewrote, as it gives an interesting perspective for inspiration.