Halb5 Vortrag | 24.05.2000 | Übergänge
Beat Müller und Wendelin Hess, Basel
Aus dem Buch der Schweizer Grafik-Designer »Benzin«.
About their graphic education in Basel: When we were there, the school was hermetically sealed from the rest of Europe as far as graphic design was concerned. When we graduated we didn´t even know the stars of the time – Brody or VanderLans. Nevertheless, today we´re grateful for that education. It gives us a firm basis. You know what you´re doing.
About important figures they most relate to as graphic designers: Weingart was important. Perhaps precisely because at the time we didn´t have a great deal to do with him. These days he sent us his own work to show us that he thought of certain things way before we did. At college they were the classic figures of the so-called Swiss school: Hofmann, Lohse, Ruder – then there was also Tschichold or El Lissizky. Today they´re not only graphic designers but also important figures from fine art and contemporary music, for example John Cage.
About designing corporate identities: When clients know and want our basic approach, then neither side has to bend over backwards too much. When there´s too wide a gulf between the two sets of attitudes, there won´t be any co-operation, whoever you´re dealing with.
About debates among theirselves: It looked terrible when it was printed. We thought, shit, what are we going to do with this pile of paper? Then we had the idea to screen print over the printed paper in two colours and make a poster out of it, as a piece of value enhancing recycling if you like.
Such discoveries often happen just before the end. You mustn´t notice it too late, that´s the problem. It gets more difficult when you try to control chance, plan mistakes.
About their aesthetic: You can compare it to a game of billiards. As parameters of defined design elements, you´ve got the green table, the coloured balls, the cue, the table height, the felt, the table format, the light etc. When the game starts, that´s the action. The balls crash into each other. We shouldn´t control what the picture looks like after that, it´s always good. No, it´s not always good. Sometimes you have to help it along a bit afterwards.
About manoeuvrability: We want a thought-through manoevrability. We do what seems right and exciting to us. Our first concern is not that we should be successful with it. We work because we´re pursuing something and want to find it.
About their design – as Swiss design – has the power to shine: Well you could say that. On numerous occasions people have thought we were responsible for work which we knew absolutely nothing about.
Tags: 2000