DE STIJL

De Stijl movement originated in Netherlands, and it embraces an abstract geometric forms, pared-down aesthetic centered in basic visual elements such as geometric forms and primary colors. The movement also rejected it predecessor movement decorative excesses of the so-called Art Deco. Its creators envisioned the reduced quality of De Stijl art as a universal visual language appropriate to the modern era. 

Led by the painters Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian. It’s central and celebrated figures  De Stijl artists applied their style to a host of media in the fine and applied arts and beyond. Promoting their innovative ideas in their journal of the same name, the members envisioned nothing less than the ideal fusion of form and function, thereby making De Stijl in effect the innovative style. 

To this end, De Stijl artists turned their attention to virtually all other art forms as well, including industrial design, typography, even literature and music and  not only to fine art media such as painting and sculpture, but virtually all other art forms as well, including industrial design, typography, even literature and music. 

De Stijl's influence was perhaps felt most noticeably in the realm of architecture, helping give rise to the International Style of the 1920s - 30s. 

Now, here’s one of the more unique creations from this era: a chair by Gerrit Rietvel, fashioned in the same Neo-Plastic or De Stijl style.




Cover for De Stijl done in 1922 by Theo van Doesburg. Such typography shown in this cover in particular is asymmetrically well balanced in each four corners of an implied rectangle involving vertical and horizontal words.

Reference

Beazley, M., Aynsley, J., eds., 2004. Pioneers of Modern Graphic Design: A Complete History. London: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd.

Livingston, A. I., 2003. Graphic Design and Designers. London: The Thames & Hudson.