structuralism / post-structuralism

Philosophy movement which aims understand culture and society through material practices.

The structuralists
"The search for the underlying patterns of thought in all forms of human activity"
Angela Doland

Ferdinand de Saussure

Considered one of the founders of 20th century linguistics. Systematic approach to linguistics in that he saw all words and their meanings being in relation to each other. He also saw language as being of social nature, providing a context for its structure.

Claude Lévi-Strauss

Analyzed cultural events such as mythology and kinship. Also studying the structure of the human mind, which he believed worked on pairs of parallel opposites, like male-female or hot-cold.

Josef Muller-Brockmann

Working with grid systems, the structural nature of his design is evident.This visual style goes hand in hand with his philosophy "The unconscious is part of the support structure: everything that is stored there comes to light in the work process"

Part of his series of posters for the Zurich Town Hall, showcases visual correlation between the structure of design and the structure of music

Herbert Bayer

"Typography is not self-expression with in predetermined aesthetics, but that it is conditioned by the message it visualises."
As part of the Bauhaus movement, Bayer shows how structure is combined with typography.

Bayer's 1925 universal typeface combining upper and lowercase characters into one set

The post-structuralists
"The birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of the author"
Roland Barthes

Roland Barthes

Believed structuralism could provide a unified approach to the disciplines of human kind, and focused on this in literature, dividing it into three parts, functions, actions and narrative, alongside linguistics aspects. The growing strength of the post-structuralist movement led Barthes to write his seminal essay "The Death of the Author" stating the importance of the readers past influence in interpreting the authors' work.

Michel Foucault

Developed Barthes idea and stated that our idea of the author is something we project which carries it's own connotations of how we see and interpret the literary work.

Jacques Derrida

Approach of deconstruction, attempting to expose and shake the underbelly of the foundations of philosophy and particular literary works. One of his most famous quotes is that "there is nothing outside the text"

David Carson

American graphic designer known for being the art director of the 90's grunge style magazine Ray Gun. Having no formal graphic design education, Carson just made his layouts by distorting and cutting imagery, deconstructing the traditional idea of the magazine. He claims his work is "subjective, personal and very self indulgent"

One of David Carson's covers for Ray Gun magazine, featuring Andy Warhol.