MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

Graphic design ephemera is often thought of as temporal, disposable and even irrelevant. Upon further examination, graphic design ephemera transcend the temporary and become important historical artifacts. Ephemeral works go beyond original intent of promotion, persuasion, awareness, and provocation; eventually becoming an invaluable record of historical beliefs, attitudes and events. They shape our perception of time. These artifacts are used to capture socio-economic viewpoints, political positions, and visual preferences. A sampling of several different cultural groups will show how this is true for all popular culture.

As graphic designers, our process centers around defining our target audience and developing visual communications that connect with them. By doing so, we are also defining the scope of our influence within a defined design culture. Boxing posters go beyond advertising events to the public. They become important historical records that document date, time, location, participants, vernacular, and even predictions of fight outcome. Additionally, they provide insight into the lives of the boxers, the socio-economic status of the audience and the geographic and historical importance of events. In a similar way, women suffragists’ posters and flyers become artifacts of beliefs, attitudes, and emotions as well as a documentation of history. Political campaign posters can provide documentation of cultural beliefs. They can also be viewed as a timeline of America’s beliefs, values, attitude, fears, prejudices and divides.

Graphic designers are the visual historians of millions of small moments, that when compiled, represent and define our culture.