Anarchy can be known as one of two ways, one being the suggestion of total chaos or as a brand for anti-establishment movements and styles or the other being the political ideas, anarchy, comes from the greek word ‘Anarkhos’, meaning without rulers, it is an ideal for absolute freedom of the individual. As a political ideal it covers and comments on a lot of key social issues, with heavy scrutiny on the 'established order' and the structures of the social heir-achy. Today it is widely known as an anti-social movement and inspires images of violence and chaos, this is through the adoption of anarchist logos and symbols in styles born from anarchism ideals such as punk in the late 1970's and early 80's. The styles punk designers such as Jamie Reid used for his work for the Sex Pistols in 1977, where he defaced images of the Queen and British flag for posters, this visual art share ideals of anti-establishment that anarchy portrayed through action and protest, both of which were, at the time, heavily scrutinised by the national media and demonised by the press. In the case of anarchy as a political ideal, it is the belief of social historian Raphael Samuels that the attacks on far-left or 'loony leftism' and for example the 'phenomenon' that was Thatcherism is a 'Retrospective of accounts' meaning that right wing politics is told better than it was and left wing politics made out to be ridiculous.
Though thinking of punk styles when thinking of graphic design and anarchy there was a period of time where anarchy was widely presented in society through journals and weekly or monthly publications, even as early as 1886 when Peter Kropotkin, Russian activist and philosopher, and Charlotte Wilson anarchist and editor started Freedom Newspaper which used bold hand-set wood type posters which were used to broadcast anarchist ideas as well as promoting the monthly publication. Today Freedom has been reduced to an online publication following its print closure in 2014, it is clear to see there has been a decline in anarchy popularity or need throughout Freedoms 128 year history. The most notable period of 'popularity' for anarchy came throughout the 1960's, one reason for this could be seen as the social upheavals that were occurring in post war Britain, something that left wing publications commented on, non more so and clearer than Colin Wards monthly publication 'Anarchy', though not only did it comment on politics and society, its unique covers created an image for anarchy that it never had before and one that only helped its popularity and public voice more. Looking at the design behind Colin Ward's 'Anarchy' and essays, books interviews from Rick Poynor, Raphael Samuels, Rufus Segar, Richard Hollis and Steven Heller to see how design shaped the image of anarchy.
Colin Ward was a British anarchist writer born in 1924 and is regarded as a 'pioneering social historian'. In 1947, after leaving the army and working in a few different jobs, Ward moved to London and started working at Freedom Press, where he spent ten years as a writer and editor of the Freedom News Paper. It was towards the end of the 50's and start of the 60's that Ward sensed a social change and a need and potential audience for anarchist politics and messages. Ward would often write about a concept for a smaller monthly publication on anarchist ides within his articles for weekly publication the Freedom Newspaper. Ward would compile essays and contributions of singular topics and release them as one publication rather than sending out multiple messages at once, he wanted to send out clear stands and opinions on topics which is why the journal was monthly and not weekly like its former parent publication 'Freedom'. Ward proposed to name the new publication 'Autonomy' taken from the German anarchist journal 'Die Autonomie', though it was changed to 'Anarchy' which was seen as a more direct title. 'Anarchy' 1 was released in March 1961 and featured a cover by Michael Foreman a friend of Wards (this is the only issue Foreman produced the cover artwork for).
Each cover was artistically unique and represented the theme of the content which the editor Colin Ward would control. Issues such as; planning, prison reform, nuclear disarmament, education, housing and homelessness, the policing of protests, crime, sexual politics, the law, trades' unions, Foreign policy, transport policy, popular arts, racism, drugs, technology, the theatre, workers control, poverty, students were all touched upon by the publication. Ward employed a number of designers, illustrators and artists to design the covers of the monthly publications. Creatives such as; Martin Leman, John Riley, Ivor Claydon, Phillip Sansom, Colin Munro, Rufus Segar. Rufus Segar is the standout name in this list as he is the designer who contributed the majority of the 'artwork' for Colin Ward's Anarchy. His styles have become synonymous within political art and political design history.
Though 'Anarchy' covers tried not to conform to singular styles, modernist design can be seen in use on a number of covers of 'Anarchy' for example 'Anarchy 51' (Segar, Rufus, May 1965) employs techniques already used by modernist designers- bold, solely typographic covers using san serif typefaces, over laid to create bold and clear designs which share similar affinities with design by Max Huber and Armin Hofmann, pieces such as Hofmann's 'Gisselle' posters and Huber's 'Sci' (ski) Magazine covers between 1961-63. Other, clearer examples of modernist style bleeding into the cover design of 'Anarchy' can be seen through issue 66 (Segar, Rufus, August 1966. Photography - Ed van Der Elksen and Koen Wessing) which looks at the Dutch Provo movement. A counter-culture movement which occurred in the mid-1960's, its aim was to provoke violence from authorities through non-violent baiting, it was founded by activist Robert Jasper Gootveld, known for his anti-smoking campaigns and protests, and anarchists Roel Van Dujin and Rob Stolk.
The Design industry was changing rapidly through the decade of Colin Ward's 'Anarchy', the use of full-colour products and images were being used and printed after many years of black and white print. A key turning point in design was the launch of 'The Sunday Times magazine' in 1962 which had Lord Snowden as the design adviser, this is referred to as 'a new era' according to British graphic designer Richard Hollis as he wrote in his essay 'Anarchy and the 1960's' Hollis also writes 'The years 1960-3 were also when graphic design began, at least in England' stating that 'The Sunday times magazine' and the start of the annual designers convention began between these years.
It can be seen clearly, through the evolution of Anarchy's covers, that the 60's saw a revolution of print, with letterpress slowly giving way to offset lithography, photo-setting replacing metal composition and a division of labour. It was not until the mid-1980's that designers would have been able to generate all of the elements of design and assemble it together digitally for the print. 'Anarchy' was produced through division of labour which was seen in the design industry in the 60's. Designers giving instructions and specifications to the print trade specialists - typesetters, photo-engraves and the printer themselves. Early issues of 'Anarchy' clearly shows this division of labour. Headings and text which featured on the covers would be printed direct from the printers typesetting. This was then combined with one or more photo-engraved blocks, made from what 'artwork' the artists would provide. The tight production budget which was used meant that savings had to be made, this would mean that savings were made by re-using the typesetting or blocks of art. For example on a number of occasion the typeset line 'a journal of anarchist ideas' is used in different locations from issue to issue, this was not uncommon for small publications. The designer of the cover would be expected to provide specifications for the set type, choices such as the typeface, the size, and the spacing, kerning between the letters and words. The rectangularity of letterpress printing was disguised by a loose more free arrangement of imagery with type. Large headings and subheadings could be achieved through Letraset or transfer lettering.
The 1960's also saw a decline of illustration and its replacement with photography, most notably within advertisement. From this influx in use of photography, mediums such as collage and image distortion techniques easily made photography more expressive (Examples 'Anarchy 80' Segar, Rufus October 1967, 'Anarchy 91' Segar, Rufus, September 1968 and 'Anarchy 34' Leman, Martin, December 1963) A common technique which also came out of the 60's and one used on 'Anarchy' cover designs was 'Posterization' a method where grey half-tones were removed from photographs to create purely black and white imagery. Design studios began to use visualizers or Lucigraphs as a means of enlarging or shrinking down imagery and ready typeset proofs for preparing final sizes ready for print. It was also used to produce lined or half-toned imagery (A technique used in a number of 'Anarchy' covers, notable covers showing this technique are 'Anarchy 89', 'Anarchy 48' and 'Anarchy102'). Enlarging half-tone screens of photographs was a technique used by less frequent or small publications and journals in an attempt to mimic and imitate the look of the newspaper press, this was to try and get an essence of topicality which was around at the time, the designers of 'Anarchy' covers are known to use such techniques but only as a satire or for social commentary.
As well a noticable revolution happened constantly with 'Anarchy' covers throughout the 60's too, the changing styles main designer Rufus Segar, who used every design method to produce the covers for Wards publication, a notable technique was illustration, Segar's rough brash drawings combined with red bold type
Richard Hollis talks about how print methods can share connotations with movements and make design into mannerisms, saying “red, black, stars and black lines which all signalled anti-establishment messages”(Poyner, 2012 pp.288) a clear example of this in use is Ken Garlands Aldermaston work promoting a CND protest, this carried strong bold visual lines (through the CND symbol) and modernist style layouts. Regularly the nature and style of the cover designs change from issue to issue but the best example of design contrasts is seen in the extremely different techniques seen used on issues 19 and 20. Issue 19 has a freedom to it usually seen in offset printing almost no typeset lettering (only the line 'a journal of anarchist ideas' and the price and issue number). Issue 20 employs a straight forward, clean cut typical letterpress style design printed from the printers typeset.These different styles showed the diverse nature of the covers of 'Anarchy' and also the movement and ideas that the publication stood for, it did not conform to singular styles and trends and did not need a set look or brand to be known. The covers were produced like this partly because of Colin Ward's choice to employ a number of different creatives to design them and partly because he gave them complete control of its design, giving them the topic of the journal they would be producing work for and letting them do the rest. Ward would rarely edit or change the cover or content of the publications, on occasion he would not see the cover art at all and it would be sent straight to print by the designer.
Richard Hollis observes the covers of 'Anarchy' with 'designery unease', "it is hard to discern only consistent patterns in the deployment of drawings or photographs" (Poyner, 2012 pp.289)Hollis spoke of the covers, though this inconsistency is something that lead designer, Rufus Segar aimed to achieve, saying that he wanted "Not to repeat the previous one. Each different. I saw no reason why they should be the same" this mindset and the graphic system is in-keeping with anarchy's ideals and messages.
Poynor believes Segar was 'not a great innovator in graphic design, though he 'makes no claim to be'. Poynor believes that the monthly publications now 'serve as nuance' to our understanding of graphic design in the 1960's and little more. This is contrary to the beliefs of social and marxist historian Raphael Samuels, who believes 'Anarchy' 'represented better than any any other publication, the cultural revolution of the 60's and it did so far earlier than anyone else and ... more thoughtfully' (Poyner, D. 2012 pp257).These two opinions on 'Anarchy' contrast, one side being from a contemporary designer (Poynor) and the other from a social historian (Samuels), with Poynor looking at the inconsistencies and un-literal covers as bad design styles. Samuels discusses the individuality and strong messages that were put across in each cover, looking at the combination of radicalism and spontaneity that made 'Anarchy'.
Samuels believes that Ward and Segar's combined work on 'Anarchy' as a key figure in the changes which occurred through the sixties, not just the politics and culture which was discussed in each issue of 'anarchy' but also huge changes to graphic design. Throughout the sixties, was a revolution of print, this can be clearly seen within design of the 60’s and heavily influenced changes to how Segar produced his covers and the design of anarchy ideals. Letterpress slowly gave way to offset lithography, photo-setting replacing metal composition and the introduction of letterset made designing easier. It was not until the mid-eighties that designers would have been able to generate all of the elements of design and assemble it together digitally for the print but these new advancements meant the process could be done in ways at the designers desk. Though the production method of 'Anarchy' which was a division of labour which was seen in the design industry in the 60's. Designers giving instructions and specifications to the print trade specialists - typesetters, photo-engraves and the printer themselves. Poynor is critical of some of Segar's work for 'Anarchy' particularly the later issues, calling out Segar for 'losing enthusiasm and his touch' Poynor says his work must be interpreted giving the example of Anarchy 113 from 1970 where Segar uses collaged photography of nude women behind bars, Poynor critiques the cover claiming the women are 'Apparently loving it' and going on to try interpret the cover as "an early feminist image - women locked into the sexual identity that society foists on them" then concludes his critique by questioning "but without a cover line who can tell?" (Poynor, R.,2017)
There are no clear consistent patterns regarding the styles of 'Anarchy' cover, the means were eclectic and un-conformative in appearance and in production. Though a clear development and evolution can be seen throughout the nine years of the publication under Ward, the differences between the early issues and the later ones, this change can be seen as changes and advancements in design and technology as well as the attitudes and social topics which Ward based the issues on. The approach, in the later issues, became a more visual representation of what we know now as graphic design, modern cultural styles were employed sometimes unknowingly, the covers themselves are seen to be more impactful than the essays and writings which made the content of ‘Anarchy’.
Poynor's questioning of the meaning behind the meaning of a cover of anarchy may shed light on why anarchy has decreased in popularity following the 60’s, the messages of anarchy became to lost in the growing social styles which came following the 1960s such as punk which took on anarchist ideals within its design, this anti-establishment style was born from the messages which were being put across, it can also be seen that it was crushed down by far right authorities which were about through the seventies and eighties, the demonisation of anarchist and far left values. Though on the point of Rufus Segar’s work on ‘Anarchy’ it had such a huge impact not only on the visual image of anarchism but also of design, his bold mixture of illustration, photography not only explored the ideals and social topics which anarchy touched upon but explored the ever changing design culture in Britain during the 1960’s, though even today its design still holds a relevance, even now topics of education, housing and foreign policy are still heavy social matters which are not being addressed by the powers that be, Anarchy’ voiced these opinions both through Segars visuals and the contributors essays. Anarchy now can be seen as chaotic and unstable, but it is in anarchy’s uncaring nature to not be hindered by demonisations, it has wanted to get its messages out bold and clear for over a century and has done so despite the set backs of social ignorance and misunderstanding of anarchists true ideals of absolute freedom.
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