Artist Spotlight: Swissted

Swiss modern graphic design and punk rock music, what’s not to love? A project created by artist and designer Mike Joyce, Swissted is a collection of posters that utilize simplistic Swiss design to advertise historical rock shows. Although seemingly polar opposites of the arts field, Joyce makes punk and modern design blend together beautifully.

Graphic design originating in Switzerland in the 1940s-50s is also referred to as the International Typographic Style. You might recognize other works by designers such as Josef Muller-Brockman or their usage of simple shapes and Helvetica or Akzidenz Grotesk typefaces. During the development of graphic design in the 20th century, designers stressed the combination of typography, composition, and communication.

Mike Joyce’s surprisingly effective solutions cover renowned music artist and bands from Public Enemy, to The Velvet Underground, to David Bowie, to Radiohead, and many more. His posters are full of bright colors and alluring compositions of large shapes. For any graphic design fan or music lover, these posters are a must-have.

Available at museums all over the world, dozens of vibrant posters are also able to be purchased on the Swissted website. I can’t wait to get one for my apartment! Although which one is another question…

There are too many amazing posters to show, but here are a few!