Sunday Edition, Graphics: ✊🏽A History of Design and Activism in Califor nia 📐

Graphic design is everywhere, from the menus we peruse at restaurants to the newspapers we read and t

Sunday Edition Jun 20, 2021 • View in browser

Graphic design is everywhere, from the menus we peruse at restaurants to the newspapers we read and the street signs we follow. In California, and especially in Los Angeles, no occasion is too small for some eye-popping, quirky design — from its proudly decorated donut shops to its sleek gas stations. But graphic design is more than about making things look pretty (though that’s nice too) — it can influence what we pay attention to and how we absorb information. Artists in California have long been aware of the persuasive powers of design, using bright colors, playful typefaces, and bold shapes to push forward their ideas.For this Sunday Edition, Hyperallergic is excited to be collaborating with Southern California’s KCET and its arts and culture series Artbound in an issue celebrating the history of graphic design and social activism in the region. The issue is being published ahead of five short films that will launch on Artbound starting Monday, June 21, with each highlighting local designers, including Emory Douglas, John Van Hamersveld, Ernesto Yerena Montejano, Dignidad Rebelde, and others. The film on Corita Kent, the beloved “Pop art nun,” premiered exclusively on Hyperallergic, and you can watch it here.We hope you enjoy the issue, which, after perusing, you may want to revisit our Sunday Edition from this time last year about Juneteenth. —Elisa Wouk Almino, Senior Editor

Graphics: ✊🏽A History of Design and Activism in California 📐 This edition, produced in collaboration with KCET’s Artbound, celebrates the rich history of artist-activists in the Golden State. Elisa Wouk Almino

In California, a Legacy of Political Protest Through Graphic Design Lives On Grassroots social movements in California in the 1960s and ‘70s led to a flourishing of graphic innovation that lives on to this day. Staci Steinberger

A 1970s Provocative Magazine That Fought Anti-Asian Sentiment What started as a monthly paper in 1969 geared towards Asian American students at UCLA soon expanded to the greater Los Angeles community. Allison Conner

California Continues to Rewrite the Rules of Design Artists and designers in the state found their voices by breaking from modernist traditions and embracing the light, color, and playful attitude of the West Coast. Avishay Artsy

The Hand-Painted Signs and Murals of Latinx LA Sign painters and muralists have helped create the visual language of Los Angeles. Samanta Helou Hernandez

A Tour Through Design and Social Activism in LA, From 1960s to Today From the socially progressive prints of Sister Corita Kent to the first major gay publication in the US. Matt Stromberg

The Extraordinary Story of Corita Kent, the “Pop Art Nun” Hyperallergic has the exclusive premiere of KCET Artbound’s short film Corita Kent: The Pop Art Nun. Elisa Wouk Almino

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