Graphic design in the Netherlands is revered by the general population. The attention to design is evident from small publications such as Stitching de Roos (which commissions a typographer to create a book once a year with his or her own style) to large publishers like Arbeiders Pers and Querido that instill high design standards for their publications. Due to the countries liberal ideology, the atmosphere for typography differs from the rest of the design world. “Designers are able to work very independently,” says Harleem-based illustrator and typographer Joost Swoot. A designer will take personal responsibility rather than doing merely what the client asks. The former head of the Design department at Jan van Eijck Academy feels that the size of ones country can “determine the ability to be inventive.” In a large market such as the U.S., a design can be reproduced and repeated several times. Where as in Holland, the market is small and a designer needs to be more innovative with an idea.

One influence on Dutch Design is the Jan van Eyck Academy where future designers are taught to understand theory. It was founded in 1948 as a catholic institute for education in fine art and applied art based on a catholic foundation. The Academy has dramatically transformed over the years and is now considered a Post Academic Institute for Research and Production in the fields of fine art, design and theory. The Design Department offers design practitioners, theoreticians, and critiques an innovative program of research challenges.

Led by Theo van Doesburg, de Stijl movement began around 1917. Along with Piet Mondrain, Antonie Kok, Bart van der Leck and others, van Doesburg also created the publication with the same name (de Stijl) in that same year. The idea was to work in an abstract geometric style and to seek universal laws of equilibrium and harmony for art. What was important was that beauty arose from the absolute purity of the work and the members wanted to diminish natural representation in design. The movement imposed horizontal and vertical structure upon the alphabet by eliminating curved lines and san serif type. The characteristics of style included type composed in tight rectangular blocks, asymmetrically balanced layouts, as well as, red as a second color because of the graphic power when competing with black. Red was also a prime choice because it signified revolution. Then in the 1950’s Wim Crouwel led the “Swiss school” movement, more commonly known as The International Typographic Style. The International Typographic Style grew from the influence of de Stijl, the Bauhaus and New Typography. It was to gradually relinquish the influence of the designers personal style from his work. However, today’s designers are interested in the personal expression.

Theo van Doesburg (born Christian Emil Kuepper) (Dutch, 1883-1931), Tree, 1916, oil on panel, 26 x 22 inches (66 cm x 55.9 cm), Portland Art Museum, OR.

 

Theo van Doesburg, Pure Painting, 1920, oil on canvas, 130 x 80.5 cm, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris.

 

 

Layout from the Dot Dot Dot design magazine

 

Gerrit T. Rietveld (Dutch, 1884-1964), Schroder House

 

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