What is Black and White all Over?

Jennifer Ramos is a designer from L.A.

Michael Jon Watt is inspired by typography, vintage signs, and bus scrolls.

On his Etsy site he creates custom-made scrolls, which can be used to commemorate events like weddings or record your favorite places, people, or things.

These two posters resonate with me because there is a seamless marriage between the concept and the aesthetics. Conceptually, both pieces examine a singular idea (the word "hello" and a wedding day) and offer several variations that further explain the idea (such as different ways to say hello and the various destinations associated with a wedding)

The vertical list format, the simple sans serif font, and the black and white color palette remove all unnecessary visual elements, which makes the the viewer focus on the message of the piece. The design is neat, clean, simple, modern, yet powerful.

I think it is interesting how this is a common trend in the design world, after all two separate artists are making very similar choices about font, color, and composition. This push towards minimalism is a re-occuring theme in modern and contemporary art and design. Several artists use font in a similar manner. For example, the painter Ed Rusha works with the viscersal associations that are connected to specific words and the contemporary installation and conceptual artist Jenny Holzer uses short text phrases ("truisms") as a way to communicate a specific message.

Ed Rushca, Noise, 1963, oil on canvas, 72 x67 inches.

Jenny Holzer, A Survival sorozatbol, Times Square, NY. 1985-86.