A poster series paying tribute to three trailblazing jazz musicians that resisted the status quo.
Sound Assertions:3 Jazz Pioneers
Visual System Development + Research
Fall 2019- Typography Studio
Cacophony of Sounds: Unconventional artists resisting the status quo. Escape the realm of conformity and discover the history of unconventional jazz musicians that paved the way for generations to come. Three trailblazers from three generations representing turning points in jazz history and breaking the laws of their generation’s tradition with their new and innovative sounds. Join the rebellion and step into the genesis of jazz as we know it.
The concept revolves around the sound of each artist’s music. Onomatopoeias are used to describe the literal sound of their music, but the composition reflects their personal style as jazz musicians.
Fats Waller
Fats Waller is known for laying the foundation for jazz piano, playing down beats on the left hand and executing playful riffs on the right hand. I portrayed this in his poster by focusing one onomatopoeia on the left and one on the right that reflect the sounds of the down beats and the riffs.
Buddy Bolden
The composition includes several overlapping, small onomatopoeias to reflect his junction of instruments. It is composed of elongated type to demonstrate the high pitched and loud sound.
Jason Kao Hwang
The poster is composed of sharp angles and large shapes of text to elaborate on the bold, squealing sound of Jason Kao Hwang’s music.
All three posters use a split complimentary color palette because it manifests the way these three artists have changed jazz. The titles and subtitles contrast with the monochrome background, just as these three jazz pioneers’ sounds contrast with the typical sounds of jazz in their time.
