Slog
News & ArtsThursday, September 27, 2012
Visual Art Should We Have Hope for Logos?
Posted by Jen Graves on Thu, Sep 27, 2012 at 9:27 AM
- Courtesy Brian Paul Bach
An Ellensburg artist named Brian Paul Bach created this 10-by-10 pen-and-wash drawing of imaginary logos last year. He called it 100 CORPORATE LOGOS FOR BIG CORPORATIONS THAT DO NOT ACT LIKE BIG CORPORATIONS AND PAY THEIR TAXES. (It was first seen in the 2011 10x10x10 Mighty Tieton show.)
About the piece, Bach writes:
I believe that good logos can still make sense and project integrity without becoming lies, like so many of today’s corporate entities have become. 100 LOGOS is thus a satire, but it is also a wistful notion, a wish for sweeter, more innocuous forces to prevail in the face of insipidness.
What do you think, Slog?
Have you lost faith in logos? Or do you still have room in your heart for sweet wishes?*
*Also, do you see breasts where I see breasts? Apologies to the artist.
2
Definitely books.
I also see a sombrero being used as a traffic cone and a dude playing drums with 2 bass drums.
I also see a sombrero being used as a traffic cone and a dude playing drums with 2 bass drums.
3
Definitely boobs.
I also see a sombrero being used as a traffic cone and a dude playing drums with 2 bass drums.
I also see a sombrero being used as a traffic cone and a dude playing drums with 2 bass drums.
5
Not only did I see the breasts, my eyes seemed to go straight to them. Kudos to a corporation that chooses that logo.
7
If he can trick some company into buying one of his logos, he can be set up for a long time. I say "trick" because he'll have to convince them that he did millions of dollars worth of research and polling into it, and explain all the psychological feel-good triggers his logo possesses with the average schmuck. And it'll help if he comes up with a new made-up word that sounds like a real word, but isn't. Like Sexenture or some such thing.
9
More and more I see logos being converted to austere, bland, minimalist designs. Remember Gap's stupid new logo? I just noticed that USA TODAY has now gone to a stupid bland logo. It's not even a logo, it's just the paper's name in black Helvetica. Most people wouldn't call that a logo, they would call that printing.
Is the corporate trend towards austere logos supposed to subconsciously ease us into acceptance of public austerity?
Is the corporate trend towards austere logos supposed to subconsciously ease us into acceptance of public austerity?
11
The reason we may have "lost faith" in logos, is because corporations are designed to maximize profit with whatever it is they do (clothes, energy, food, charter schooling, prisons).
If an entity's only morality is "maximize profit", then everything else is an option (lies, slavery, violence, pollution, corruption).
So of *course* logos come to represent lies, [wage]slavery, violence, pollution and corruption.
That won't change until we manage to get away from the "dictates of the market" that require constant growth of both the economy and corporations in order to eternally maximize profits. (Which is a requirement of positive-interest currency.) Human beings, human society is about more that maximal money. Once we make the shift to get past that recent historical B.S., we can get on with the business of being ethical.
If an entity's only morality is "maximize profit", then everything else is an option (lies, slavery, violence, pollution, corruption).
So of *course* logos come to represent lies, [wage]slavery, violence, pollution and corruption.
That won't change until we manage to get away from the "dictates of the market" that require constant growth of both the economy and corporations in order to eternally maximize profits. (Which is a requirement of positive-interest currency.) Human beings, human society is about more that maximal money. Once we make the shift to get past that recent historical B.S., we can get on with the business of being ethical.
12
Let me add: Logos for non-profit organizations don't carry the sentiment of corrupt values. Logos are merely a graphic shorthand for the organization or event it represents. As sort of modern-day idiogram.
So when Bach says "I believe that good logos can still make sense and project integrity without becoming lies," ... is he forgetting organizations like the Red Cross, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Greenpeace, The Nature Conservancy and others?
Or is "logo," for him, entirely wrapped up with "corporations" ?
So when Bach says "I believe that good logos can still make sense and project integrity without becoming lies," ... is he forgetting organizations like the Red Cross, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Greenpeace, The Nature Conservancy and others?
Or is "logo," for him, entirely wrapped up with "corporations" ?
13
So a big sheet of random doodles is what gets Jenn's attention . Make a note, local artist. Stop trying and you'll get noticed.
14
This looks like the cover of some ninth-grader's algebra textbook. The title is pretty ninth grade, too.
Corporate logos look the way they do for a reason. A reason that this "artist" will never come within a million miles of understanding, unless he's wearing one on his paper hat.
Corporate logos look the way they do for a reason. A reason that this "artist" will never come within a million miles of understanding, unless he's wearing one on his paper hat.
15
We still pay attention to logos, but they don't always work as intended. Wal-Mart changed its logo officially a couple of years ago to something with an almost European style, but almost everything I see in media (and particularly any reporting or editorializing on their crappy behavior) still uses photos or graphics with the old, blocky, almost Brutalist logo.
Personally, the logo that seems to be practically engraved on my DNA is Sears from the'70s to the early '80s - the simple, slightly serifed font with the box (and often a second shield) around it. It wasn't a logo, it was a friggin' builder's plate; the solidity was a perfect visual sell that whatever this logo was on was going to be well-made and last practically forever. (And this was in fact usually true.) I once caught myself halfway to the cash register with a shirt I didn't need, simply because through old stock or a production screwup, it had that logo on the label.
Personally, the logo that seems to be practically engraved on my DNA is Sears from the'70s to the early '80s - the simple, slightly serifed font with the box (and often a second shield) around it. It wasn't a logo, it was a friggin' builder's plate; the solidity was a perfect visual sell that whatever this logo was on was going to be well-made and last practically forever. (And this was in fact usually true.) I once caught myself halfway to the cash register with a shirt I didn't need, simply because through old stock or a production screwup, it had that logo on the label.
18
I might add:
That reminds me, I flunked algebra in the 9th grade. I guess it shows...
I salute any graphics person who can come up with a logo WITHOUT doodling.
I wanted to tie into the Occupy movement by churning out a bunch of corporate-appearing logos, from bozo to bogus, as a commentary on the deceptive aesthetics of corporate culture. Big-time corporations have long prided themselves on cultivating a refined taste in the arts, with collections and commissions that supposedly enhance their reputations. With so many corporate entities involved in criminal activities though, their once unchallenged logos have become, at best, dubious badges. Wal-Mart's new orbit of corn kernels is just as absurd and deceptive as BP's 'beyond petroleum' flower of wonder. And now that the Koch empire has surfaced for public scrutiny, we see in its family of logos the best of the candy-colored-clown kitschy-koo crowd. (Hey, the one for Brawny really comes on strong!)
The latest trend of corporate and institutional identity is to inch away from graphic logos towards mere words – the spelling out of a name in the clearest, most banal terms possible. Halliburton, the Metropolitan Opera, the Gap’s attempt at a ‘simpler’ logo, and even the Seattle Art Museum, are a few examples of the mind-numbingly boring ‘non-graphics’ of late. It’s as if the public can’t mentally process anything more sophisticated. As if, in a ‘texting society’, people respond to words now, more than images. This is ironic, but probably true, due to the decline in critical thinking all across the public spectrum. The generic ‘dumbing down’ has been wildly successful, as ‘the controllers’ deem it better to manipulate consumers by quasi-literate verbiage rather than the time-tested image-only approach.
There are indeed many fine logos that still stand for something admirable, and because they do, I'm criticizing those that don't. I'm considering corporate logos in this case, but it is interesting to note the 'corporate look' of many institutional and non-profit organization logos, as if they'll be taken more seriously as entities with such a look.
And yes, sex still sells...
Brian P Bach (posted via another nom de net)
More...
That reminds me, I flunked algebra in the 9th grade. I guess it shows...
I salute any graphics person who can come up with a logo WITHOUT doodling.
I wanted to tie into the Occupy movement by churning out a bunch of corporate-appearing logos, from bozo to bogus, as a commentary on the deceptive aesthetics of corporate culture. Big-time corporations have long prided themselves on cultivating a refined taste in the arts, with collections and commissions that supposedly enhance their reputations. With so many corporate entities involved in criminal activities though, their once unchallenged logos have become, at best, dubious badges. Wal-Mart's new orbit of corn kernels is just as absurd and deceptive as BP's 'beyond petroleum' flower of wonder. And now that the Koch empire has surfaced for public scrutiny, we see in its family of logos the best of the candy-colored-clown kitschy-koo crowd. (Hey, the one for Brawny really comes on strong!)
The latest trend of corporate and institutional identity is to inch away from graphic logos towards mere words – the spelling out of a name in the clearest, most banal terms possible. Halliburton, the Metropolitan Opera, the Gap’s attempt at a ‘simpler’ logo, and even the Seattle Art Museum, are a few examples of the mind-numbingly boring ‘non-graphics’ of late. It’s as if the public can’t mentally process anything more sophisticated. As if, in a ‘texting society’, people respond to words now, more than images. This is ironic, but probably true, due to the decline in critical thinking all across the public spectrum. The generic ‘dumbing down’ has been wildly successful, as ‘the controllers’ deem it better to manipulate consumers by quasi-literate verbiage rather than the time-tested image-only approach.
There are indeed many fine logos that still stand for something admirable, and because they do, I'm criticizing those that don't. I'm considering corporate logos in this case, but it is interesting to note the 'corporate look' of many institutional and non-profit organization logos, as if they'll be taken more seriously as entities with such a look.
And yes, sex still sells...
Brian P Bach (posted via another nom de net)
19
@18: I would gently suggest that the shift from iconic symbols to straight text may be, in many cases, a reflection of Western society's increased literacy -and stratification- in the last two generations. There's no longer the need - at least not one worth bothering with for most companies - to have a logo that can be recognized even by those who can't read.
Think for a minute about those companies that have retained symbolic logos, or those instantly identifiable by symbol rather than accompanying text: Wal-Mart (the "corn kernels" you mention), and its major competitor Target. McDonald's (and virtually every other fast-food chain.) BP (and virtually every other gas station chain.) Almost every supermarket chain (Fred Meyer being a notable exception.)
None of these requires the ability to read for one to still instantly recognize. (Nor do they need to be read to be recognized when one is moving at 70mph down the freeway.) This is not always a bad thing: when I was younger, anyone in the US would recognize the stylized bell in a circle as identifying a (Bell System) public telephone, and even today in London anyone will quickly recognize the red roundel and blue bar as a transit station or bus stop.
Now look at the examples you cited: Halliburton. The Metropolitan Opera. The Seattle Art Museum. What proportion of their clientele is made up of the poor and/or illiterate? Answer: virtually none. (I sincerely wonder how much of the failure of The Gap's new logo - aside from its resemblance to what was on my childhood View-Master - was due to its no longer being identifiable to a thin but significant slice of their customer base, who could just afford to shop there but would no longer recognize it without the blue-block logo. And by the way, you should note that in the '70s, when it was much more a boutique store, The Gap's logo was entirely text - though slanted at a recognizable 40 degrees.)
Just something to consider.
More...
Think for a minute about those companies that have retained symbolic logos, or those instantly identifiable by symbol rather than accompanying text: Wal-Mart (the "corn kernels" you mention), and its major competitor Target. McDonald's (and virtually every other fast-food chain.) BP (and virtually every other gas station chain.) Almost every supermarket chain (Fred Meyer being a notable exception.)
None of these requires the ability to read for one to still instantly recognize. (Nor do they need to be read to be recognized when one is moving at 70mph down the freeway.) This is not always a bad thing: when I was younger, anyone in the US would recognize the stylized bell in a circle as identifying a (Bell System) public telephone, and even today in London anyone will quickly recognize the red roundel and blue bar as a transit station or bus stop.
Now look at the examples you cited: Halliburton. The Metropolitan Opera. The Seattle Art Museum. What proportion of their clientele is made up of the poor and/or illiterate? Answer: virtually none. (I sincerely wonder how much of the failure of The Gap's new logo - aside from its resemblance to what was on my childhood View-Master - was due to its no longer being identifiable to a thin but significant slice of their customer base, who could just afford to shop there but would no longer recognize it without the blue-block logo. And by the way, you should note that in the '70s, when it was much more a boutique store, The Gap's logo was entirely text - though slanted at a recognizable 40 degrees.)
Just something to consider.
20
Great points, DonS, well-stated.
Indeed, the text-only logos strive for a sort of literate sophistication, as opposed to 'primitive' image-only recognition skills. Definitely aimed at fellow money-owners.
At the same time, I've always felt that European/International traffic signage, not dependent on language (Stop signs excepted most of the time!) were always high-level in their giving credit to the observer, as far as comprehending their messages.
Personally, my tastes have always been fairly conservative but classic: Saul Bass, William (CBS Eye) Golden, Milton Glaser/Pushpin Studios, Raymond Loewy, Paul Rand, and their schools. I get a somewhat sour kick out of my contemporaries’ discovery of this era via ‘Mad Men’, but that’s all-American merchandising for you.
Indeed, the text-only logos strive for a sort of literate sophistication, as opposed to 'primitive' image-only recognition skills. Definitely aimed at fellow money-owners.
At the same time, I've always felt that European/International traffic signage, not dependent on language (Stop signs excepted most of the time!) were always high-level in their giving credit to the observer, as far as comprehending their messages.
Personally, my tastes have always been fairly conservative but classic: Saul Bass, William (CBS Eye) Golden, Milton Glaser/Pushpin Studios, Raymond Loewy, Paul Rand, and their schools. I get a somewhat sour kick out of my contemporaries’ discovery of this era via ‘Mad Men’, but that’s all-American merchandising for you.
21
@Brian@20: In friendly honesty, I suspect that's why the sheet of 'doodled' logos didn't hit well with the readers here: they're not concrete, they don't have a solid substance or purpose ( other than, apparently, tits.) At the risk of sounding smarter than I am, see my comment upthread on the Sears logo. The fuzzy is not your friend here.
I can't look at most of these and instantly see what they're signifying. Can you identify what some (or most, or even all) of these logos were intended for?
I can't look at most of these and instantly see what they're signifying. Can you identify what some (or most, or even all) of these logos were intended for?
22
DonServo @21: By way of explanation, I guess I have to refer to my statement at top: the piece is a satire, a parody. Limp it may be, but it’s just supposed to be, well, fun. I’m afraid it’s just a fluff-ball piece, despite the implication of more serious commentary.
The only real logo – if that’s what it should be called, is my own current mark in the lower right-hand corner. The rest is up to the viewer.
When it hung in the gallery I overheard a viewer say, ‘But what are they FOR? I don’t recognize any of them.’ Maybe Ed Ruscha’s ‘OOF’, asks a similar question.
Perhaps logos annoy ‘Stranger’ readers a bit because of their corporate associations. Maybe a hint is all it takes. Sorry that they didn’t measure up very well to the standards around here…
Given that the net is about 89% porno, and pop culture is about 146% sex, it’s interesting that my tiny dabbling in such mainstream stuff caused a giggle here. Cool!
Speaking of the Sears logo, back in the late 60s I went wild with reproducing it all over the place. Pencil, pen, magic marker, I was the Sears-brander in the night. Their slogan was ‘Sears Has Everything’, so I thought everything (semi-literally) should thus have the Sears trademark on it. (‘Trademark’ was used as a term much more than ‘logo’, which had yet to take full flight.) A friend and I took this a step further by dragging the whole Sears thing into our graphic novel set in outer space, so the Sears brand was on everything from hair oil to asteroids to atom bombs. It was a gentle mockery kind of thing, sort of like 100 LOGOS.
The only real logo – if that’s what it should be called, is my own current mark in the lower right-hand corner. The rest is up to the viewer.
When it hung in the gallery I overheard a viewer say, ‘But what are they FOR? I don’t recognize any of them.’ Maybe Ed Ruscha’s ‘OOF’, asks a similar question.
Perhaps logos annoy ‘Stranger’ readers a bit because of their corporate associations. Maybe a hint is all it takes. Sorry that they didn’t measure up very well to the standards around here…
Given that the net is about 89% porno, and pop culture is about 146% sex, it’s interesting that my tiny dabbling in such mainstream stuff caused a giggle here. Cool!
Speaking of the Sears logo, back in the late 60s I went wild with reproducing it all over the place. Pencil, pen, magic marker, I was the Sears-brander in the night. Their slogan was ‘Sears Has Everything’, so I thought everything (semi-literally) should thus have the Sears trademark on it. (‘Trademark’ was used as a term much more than ‘logo’, which had yet to take full flight.) A friend and I took this a step further by dragging the whole Sears thing into our graphic novel set in outer space, so the Sears brand was on everything from hair oil to asteroids to atom bombs. It was a gentle mockery kind of thing, sort of like 100 LOGOS.
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