DAJ Guidelines:  Vertigo Poster

    Description

    Saul Bass’ Vertigo is a rectangular poster with a strong, red background and  

    black text in all capital letters.  At the center of the poster is a large white swirl

    that is solid at the center and becomes more transparent as you move away

    from the center.  A solid black male figure appears to be running or falling

    through the center of the white swirl.  Behind him a more transparent figure,

    visible only because of the outline of its body, appears to be in a similar

    stance as the more prominent black figure.

    Analysis

    Bass achieves unity in his design through the use of three strong colors - red,

    black and bright white – and through the poster’s movement evident in the

    swirl, the two figures, and the black text.  The swirl creates continuation by

    moving your eyes in a circular motion from the center of the poster and the

    two figures, out to the edges of the design where the text has been placed.

    The proximity of the two human figures and the white swirl seems to suggest

    the figures are caught up in something dangerous and controlling.                                                                                

The poster’s focal point is the black, male-shaped figure at the center of the design.  The figure’s close-to-center placement and its black color contrasting with the white swirl provide an emphasis that draws attention to the poster itself and then to its center. 

The two human figures at the center of the poster seem to be drawn to the same scale, although the transparency of the second figure makes it difficult to be sure.  The white swirl is so much larger than the two people that again the suggestion is made that they are caught at the center of something dominating, complicated and controlling.

The positioning of elements creates a very clear balance on either side of a horizontal axis.  The swirl is just below center, but the weight above the axis is balanced by the text in the upper left corner.  At first glance a vertical axis appears to create a heavier weight on the left side of the design.  When you look more closely at the figures in the center, however, their reaching and moving toward the right creates balance with the left-justified text above and below the swirl.

Bass’ design is full of rhythm.  As mentioned above, the eye is drawn away from the center focal point by the white swirl that carries the eye progressively around and out, covering almost the entire design.  Once the eye reaches the edge of the swirl, it moves on to the text above and below the swirl.  The text itself creates a sense of rhythm because of the wavy font type in which it is written.

Judgment

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