Art acts as a base, for.. everything.

Having a strong foundation in art and art history in my opinion is necessary to be a successful visual communicator, print, interactive media, anything. I’m sure everyone’s heard the phrase “history repeats it self,” and having a good knowledge of art evolving through time will only strengthen your ability to communicate visually. Take a look at these two propaganda photos, one Chinese and one Russian:

One of my favorite brewerys in Winston-Salem, Foothills Brewery, has a “People’s Porter” which obviously plays off of communist era propaganda, which can be found in art museums around the world (I got in trouble in the Museo del Prado trying to take a photo of Spaniard propaganda, I love some good propaganda).

Another example would be the history of type and how it’s formed through out the times. I think if you don’t have a good appreciation for how things were made before the glory of the computer and age of sharing ideas, you can’t really understand why graphic design, game design or web design is even a job and not just a hobby.

Louise Bourgeois is known for some of her stitch work, which has now resurfaced through one of HBO’s most popular show Girls.

Louise Bourgeois, Untitled (I have been to Hell and Back), 1996

John Mayor hired a glass artist for the feel that he wanted for his album cover which is a direct translation of the art era art nouveau. John Mayor didn’t know exactly what he wanted but showed the artist some examples he had stumbled across and I bet you that the artist had an idea of the time period because he had a background in art appreciation.

These are only a few real world examples of why a basic knowledge of art history is extremely important. Although a majority of “art” is done on the computer, it is important to realize that up until about 15 years ago this was not true and if you do then your work will have more depth and create a familiar feeling that most viewers will respond to and not even know why. I think an understanding and appreciation for the evolution of art can only make you a stronger visual communicator and strengthen your projects.