A Visual Investigation of Contemporary Cultural Identity Three Related Studies German And

A Visual Investigation of Contemporary Cultural Identity—four related studies— “German and Japanese Symbol Systems: A Cultural Study”; “England, in Our Mind’s Eye”; “Graphic Design in Britain, Concept Book: The British Experience”; and

“Boston, United States of America and Suzhou, China:

A Cultural Concept Book Study”

Richard B. Doubleday

School of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts,

Boston University

855 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

United States of America,

The talk will explore graphic design education and its relationship to different cultures by comparing and contrasting their visual language through four linked research projects.

The lecturewill draw upon my initial study, German and Japanese symbol systems: A Cultural Study. By contrasting two countries, Germany and Japan, I developed two sets of symbols, given each country’s culture, tradition, history and visual language. These symbol systems explore influences of these cultures upon semiotics, particularly those within transportation environments as a functional application of graphic design. Universal symbol systems have been designed to serve people from all cultural backgrounds. However, this study was developed in the belief that public reaction to symbols may be related to culture, gender, linguistic and visual language, age and literacy.

I will also discuss the second related study, England, in Our Mind’s Eye: A Visual Investigation of Cultural Identity in Contemporary British Society, which explores the relationship between the diverse people of contemporary British society and the physical world, contrasting the urban environment of London and its suburban communities. The goal of this ongoing project is to develop a body of graphic design work that raises awareness of the cultural diversity within London, explores the identity of greater London, and challenges the common stereotypes of English culture. This project is structured into several themes: London’s unique environment, festivals and celebrations; enduring popular identities; iconic symbols; and England’s most important national emblems, the Cross of St. George and the Union Jack. What ideas about the English culture can be learned from this visual investigation?

I will then explain the third study, Boston, Massachusetts and Suzhou, China: A Cultural Concept Book Study. The objective of the workshop was to compare and contrast Boston and Suzhou by taking a closer look at how living in or visiting a city influences our way of thinking, our perceptions, and our way of looking as graphic designers. What do Boston and Suzhou offer us to visually articulate these cities considering their multi-faceted characteristics? Furthermore, what are the similarities and differences between the culture of Boston and Suzhou? English-language typography and Chinese calligraphy?

In conclusion, I will show student design solutions from my annual summer course, Graphic Design in Britain. This course provides a thorough grounding of perceptual and problem solving skills, and the study of methods and procedures used in the practice of graphic design, taught in relation to the culture of England and the cultural diversity of London.

Study 1—German and Japanese symbol systems: a cultural study

Throughout history, people have searched for ways to give visual form to ideas and concepts, to store knowledge in graphic form, and bring order and clarity to information. Graphic design is a term used to describe an individual’s activities for bringing order and visual form to printed communications. Although it has been effective at managing content and form to communicate information clearly and creatively, graphic design traditionally has been less concerned with social and cultural issues.

I am concerned with visual expression exploring the complexities of multi-ethnic cultural identities in society. I believe that graphic design can be a means of communication between individuals of diverse national and cultural backgrounds. Placing these cultural concerns in a contemporary forum through graphic communication is my objective as a visual artist.

The purpose of this study is to explore the influences that different symbol systems and cultures can have upon symbol systems, particularly those within the public transportation environment. Universal symbol systems serve people from all cultural backgrounds. However, the thesis was developed in the belief that public reaction to those symbols, are dependent on culture, gender, language, age and literacy. I chose two countries, Germany and Japan, and developed two sets of symbols, taking into consideration each country‘s culture, tradition, history and visual language.

German and Japanese symbol systems: cultural study goal

My overriding goal was to create a new family of glyphs combining the traditional Japanese family crest, European heraldic emblems, without losing sight of semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic considerations, and retaining the overall harmony of the existing signage symbol system.

Japanese traditional family heraldry symbols

An important inspiration was the traditional Japanese family symbol or crest, the mon, the principle expression of Japanese heraldry in use for a thousand years. The simplified design of flowers, birds, animals, plants, or objects in the home contained in a circle was applied to belongings and clothing. It is thought that it originated as fabric patterns to be used on clothes in order to distinguish individuals or signify membership in a specific clan or organization. By the twelfth century sources give a clear indication that heraldry had been implemented as a distinguishing feature especially during war. It is seen on flags, tents and equipment. Heraldry in Japan has never been as carefully regulated as it was in England or other European countries.

There are six commonly recognized divisions of mon: plants, animals, natural phenomena, man-made objects, abstract designs, and ji (characters) all with unlimited stylistic variations.

These simple, symmetrical Japanese crest compositions have a subtle and precise use of line and space. Furthermore, the systematic organization and strong theoretical foundation of European constructivism is tempered by a traditional Japanese inclination toward intuitive problem-solving activity and a heritage of simplified emblematic form. In addition, Japanese designers are more prone to central placement and the organization of space around a median axis, reflecting the compositional traditions of many Japanese arts and crafts rather than the relational asymmetrical balance of European constructivism.

European Heraldic Design

From the earliest stages of man’s development, groups and individuals have used signs or marks for identification — symbols that we call emblems or insignia. Emblems in general are older than man’s ability to read and write; men of all cultures have used them. Arms and symbols have also appeared on the battlefields.

The system of emblems introduced by European knights during and following the Crusades was much more elaborate than earlier emblem designs, and later periods saw a growing complexity. The emblems shown on the shield were known first as cognizances and were later called the insignia (ensigns) of the arms, or simply the arms.

Shields (or coats of arms) began to assume the prestige of their bearers and their usage was extended as artistic embellishment symbolic of the nobility of the possessor. Arms were carved in wood and stone, impressed in metal, and appeared almost endlessly in castles and churches, on monuments and tombstones. They were embroidered into tapestries and worked on rich garments. Most frequently, they appeared on coins and seals. At the same time, the shield was being adopted as a background for the emblems of many who had never borne arms in battle — clergymen and scholars, artists and craftsmen, merchants and notaries, burghers and even peasants.

Study 2—England, in our mind’s eye: a visual investigation of its cultural identity in contemporary society

The research draws upon my German and Japanese symbol systems study, which explored influences of cultures upon symbol systems, particularly those within transportation environments. With this theme in mind, I explored the relationship between the diverse people of contemporary British society and the physical world, contrasting the urban environment of London and suburban communities. The analysis used elements of photography, contemporary graphic design, British architecture, iconography, excerpts from British literature and quotations from prominent figures in British society. The goal is to develop a body of graphic design work and a related publication that raises awareness of the cultural diversity within London and challenges the common stereotype of English culture.

As a graphic designer I am drawn to London’s rich visual tradition. It offered me the opportunity to live and research in one of the world’s most important cities for graphic design. The city’s design literacy is nurtured by generations-old signage and graphics of the London Underground, museums of fine and applied arts, as well as the largest concentration of design firms in the world.

I conducted research at the Chelsea College of Art and Design, The University of the Arts London and documented the city of London through a combination of photography, painting, collage, and digital imagery. I conducted interviews with people at cultural institutions, with the aim of identifying some of the more prominent cultural identities within London. The urban arena of London allowed me to observe the workings of urban complexity at ground level. Furthermore, My research methodology included reading scholarly essays related to British cultural studies, and compiling a bibliography with the goal of being better prepared to manage my time effectively during my semester abroad.

The research and observation enabled me to develop a body of work, which, I believe lead to opening up new areas of thought, research and development, while sustaining creative demands for continued artistic growth. Additionally, I developed long-term links with scholars and practitioners at The University of the Arts London, thus providing myself with broader and richer learning experience.

This project was structured into several themes: London’s unique environment, British popular music, Northern Ireland, Scotland, festivals and celebrations, urban and suburban identity, sport, literature, history of London, English national identity, the monarchy, enduring popular identities, Black Britishness, iconic symbols such as the Cross of St. George, St. Andrew’s Cross, St. Patrick’s Cross, and the Union Jack.

The visual investigation culminated into a series of posters helping to preserve and celebrate the transmission of the older culture and as a stimulus for the new contemporary British culture. Each poster fused expressive typography and intertwined passages of British literature, excerpts from prominent figures in British society, to communicate cultural meaning and explore different ways in which written words reflects and communicates cultural meaning.

United Kingdom’s national identity

All nations have a dominant national story, and a sense of belonging or national pride is developed by common shared stories rooted in values and principles.

England’s diversity stems from past colonization coupled immigration from diverse countries. Beginning in 1945, a subsequent chain reaction of immigration from former colonies such as Barbados, Bahamas, Antigua, Grenada, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Hong Kong, India, Malta, Mauritius, Rhodesia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tasmania, Tonga, Uganda, all contributed to the diversity and multi-ethnic Britain with considerable minorities of British-Asian and Black-British citizens.

The Union Jack Flag (United Kingdom)

The Union Jack is a combination (union) of the flags of St. George, St. Andrew and St. Patrick and represents a union of countries — England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. (The current flag, however, does not include the Wales flag into the design.) Union Jack is a misnomer for the actual flag because a jack is a flag that is flown on a jackstaff which is a small flag pole on the back of a naval ship. Hence the flag should be called the Union flag.

In 1603, King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England and united England and Scotland under a new flag combining the Cross of St. George with the Cross of St. Andrew, which the Navy referred to as The Union Jack. In 1801 King George III updated the design when he added the Cross of St. Patrick.

The designers of the day had to ensure that all the crosses could be recognized as individual flags as well as existing in the same flag together. This was achieved by making the white background (Scottish Cross) broader on one side of the Irish red than on the other. This meant that all the individual crosses could be clearly recognized and the Irish Cross had its original white background.

The Union Jack is the most important of all British symbols, and it is flown by representatives of the United Kingdom all over the world; in the military, navy and in royalty. The flag should always be flown with broader white diagonal in the higher position, nearest the top of the flagpole (as the earlier of the two to be placed on the flag, the cross of St. Andrew, is entitled to the higher position). If it was ever flown upside down, with broader white stripe at the base, it was usually when forces were under siege, as in the Boer War, or during the fighting in India during the late 18th century.

In 1966, the Union Jack Flag was all the rage. In the intervening years, it had become increasingly associated with football hooliganism, rightwing extremists and an ever-growing debate about what it means to be British.

The Flag of St. George (England)

The Cross of St. George is the flag of England. The Church of England uses the Cross of Saint George with the shield of arms of its diocese in the canton.

The life of Saint George is shrouded in legend. Most legends assert that George was born of noble Christian parents in Cappadocia. When his father died, George and his mother moved to Nicomedia, Palestine. While in Palestine, George took charge of managing the family estate, and then joined the Roman Army, where he rose to the rank of Tribune. George used the influence of his position to plead for his fellow Christian brothers and sisters who were being tortured and killed. He also complained to Emperor Diocletian of the harshness of his decrees and the dreadful purges of Christians. Such an unfamiliar affront angered Diocletian, so much so that he decreed that George be arrested. The following day, George was arrested, tortured and dragged through the streets. In the year 302, George was beheaded in the town of Lydda Palestine.

The legend that immortalizes Saint George concerns the slaying of the dragon. George, it says, a Christian knight, came to the city of Selene in Lybia, which was being persecuted by a terrible dragon; and the people had been reduced to supplying it with people from their own company. The king’s daughter herself was to be sacrificed, but George attacked and subdued the monster, and the princess led it back to the city with her girdle around its neck. St. George then slew the dragon on the condition that the people be baptized and rescued the princess. This legend appears to have been popular among knights returning from the Crusades, and it accounts for the widespread adoption of George as a patron saint widely around Europe.

The symbolism of the story is defined by the Dragon, which represents Satan, while the princess represented the Christian Church. Saint George is portrayed as having rescued the pagans from evil by vanquishing it. On the other hand, he saved the Church from being devoured by the insatiable forces of darkness.

Saint George is a leading character in one of the great poems in the English language, Edmund Spencer‘s Faerie Queene (1590 and 1596). In Book I, St. George appears as the Red Cross Knight of Holiness, protector of the Virgin. In this guise he may also be seen as the Anglican Church upholding the monarchy of Elizabeth I:

But on his breast a bloody Cross he bore

The dear remembrance of his dying Lord,

For whose sweet sake that glorious badge we wore

And dead (as living) ever he adored

Edmund Spenser (1552-1599)

In 1097, Saint George appeared as a vision to King Richard I (the Lionhearted) during his crusade against the Saracens. This vision of St. George with a red cross banner at the siege of Antioch during the First Crusade is said to have preceded the defeat of Saracens and the fall of the city to the Crusaders. Later, Richard I placed himself and his army under the protection of St. George during the Third Crusade. The earliest reference to the cross of St. George as an English emblem was in an account of the Welsh War of 1277, and the first known appearance of the banner of St. George was in 1300 at the siege of Caerlaverock. When Richard II invaded Scotland in 1385, every man was ordered to wear ”a sign of the arms of St. George,” with death promised to enemy soldiers who dared to “bear the same cross of St. George.”

Although Edward I and Edward II flew the St. George banner in their wars against Scotland, it was not until the reign of Edward III that St. George became the patron saint of England. In 1415, the festival of St. George was raised to the position of a “double major feast” and ordered to be observed throughout the Province of the Archbishop of Canterbury. One of St. George’s arms was delivered to Canterbury cathedral where it became a popular pilgrim attraction. The saint’s feast became increasingly important during the Middle Ages, and remained a holiday of obligation for English Catholics until 1778.