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Light

Poster
1937 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The designer of this poster, Lester Beall, pioneered Modernism in American graphic design. His signature style was uncompromisingly bold and dynamic, yet accessible. This poster is a good example of his work, and it earned him national attention.

This poster was designed for the Rural Electrification Administration in the United States. The government agency was responsible for bringing electricity to outlying rural areas of America. The visual language employed in this poster communicates the message effectively, and with only a spare use of text; this poster was aimed at a rural audience, many of whom had minimal reading skills.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleLight (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Silkscreen on paper
Brief description
A poster for the Rural Electrification Administration by Lester Beall, USA, 1937.
Physical description
A poster showing a lightbulb and a house.
Dimensions
  • Height: 101.6cm
  • Width: 76.2cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'Light / Rural Electrification Administration'
Gallery label
(11/09/2017)
As part of a programme for economic recovery from the Depression of the 1930s, the Rural Electrification Administration was set up to bring cheap electricity to farms and rural communities. The lightbulb, a universal symbol for electric light, is shown against a dark blue night sky and an expanse of red soil. The simple graphics were designed for a rural audience with a high level of illiteracy.
Credit line
Purchased through the Julie and Robert Breckman Print Fund
Production
This poster was designed for the Rural Electrification Administration of the United States Government.
Subjects depicted
Summary
The designer of this poster, Lester Beall, pioneered Modernism in American graphic design. His signature style was uncompromisingly bold and dynamic, yet accessible. This poster is a good example of his work, and it earned him national attention.

This poster was designed for the Rural Electrification Administration in the United States. The government agency was responsible for bringing electricity to outlying rural areas of America. The visual language employed in this poster communicates the message effectively, and with only a spare use of text; this poster was aimed at a rural audience, many of whom had minimal reading skills.
Collection
Accession number
E.265-2005

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Record createdApril 20, 2005
Record URL
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