Peter Behrens As A Type Designer

Abstract

Peter Behrens (1868-1940) was an artist who played an important role in the fields of art, design, typography and architecture in the early 20th century. He was involved in different art and design movements of his time and brought a new perspective to German design understanding with his modern ideas. Accordingly, Behrens, who is considered one of the pioneers of modern design in Germany, produced designs that combined aesthetics and functionality in a period when industrialization and technological developments accelerated. His minimalist and functional designs laid the foundations of the modern design movement. At the same time, famous architects and designers among his students adopted Behrens' design philosophy and contributed to the development of modern design in every sense. Behrens reached a turning point when he started working for the German electrical company AEG. In addition to the industrial products, modern machines and electrical household appliances he designed for this company, Behrens demonstrated his aesthetic potential with the typefaces he produced for the promotion and corporate identity of the company and became a pioneer in corporate identity design. He also introduced important innovations in the field of typography. His typeface designs caused a change in the traditional norms of German typography and became the harbinger of a contemporary approach.

This study is limited to the typography works of Behrens, a multidisciplinary artist and designer who produced in different design fields. In the context of the lettering designs he produced by standing against the art perception of the period he lived in, his contributions to the field of typography and his effects extending to the present day have been tried to be analyzed.