20th/21st Century Artifacts
7.20a Georges Massias, Gladiator bicycles ad, 1905
7.20b Will Bradley, Victor bicycles ad, detail, 1900
During mass mediation of the 1850-1900s, graphic skills were specialized and put to use in the advertising industry. “Putting real goods on display while advertising them in a virtual (print) setting reinforced the links between media and actual experience” (Graphic Design History). Advertising agencies supported the mass production and distribution of products (such as bikes, illustrated in my chosen artifacts).
Both artifacts convey the freedom associated with biking, and they both illustrate women through the lens of the male gaze. Bradley’s design, comparable to the gentle color palette and 2-dimensional pattern of Japanese prints, depicts a woman riding a bicycle, sitting upright and staring ahead, as a man off to the side gazes upon her. Massias’s is a “outrageous fantasy” that attests to the era’s sexual liberation and feminism - while also conveyed through the male gaze. It reminds me of Jule Cheret’s lithograph poster of La Loie Fuller.
I wanted to combine Massias’s vibrant colors and sense of freedom with Bradley’s poise and organization. I took the woman’s profile and flowing hair from Massias’s design, the flowers from Bradley’s design.
