“The Gutenberg era...is a consistent series of static shots or 'fixed points of view' in homogenous relationship. Homogenisation of men and materials will become the great programme of the Gutenberg era, the source of wealth and power unknown to any other time or technology” [Mcluhan, M, The Gutenburg Galaxy(1962)]This 5 page paper looks at this quote and uses three examples of graphic design from the 19th century to show how the era of print ushered in the concept of 'the static or fragmented shot' and 'homogenisation of men or materials'. The bibliography cites 6 sources.
Name of Research Paper File: TS14_TE19guten.rtf
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publication of the printed media at a lower cost with a much higher level of proliferation. The term Gutenberg Galaxy is often associated with modern forms of commutation but in
reality the first Gutenberg revolution took place in the 19th century when the use of the new publishing power saw a range of messages and graphic designs proliferated. If we
look at how and why these are seen as potentially homeginising a culture as a result of the creation of a series of snap shots we need to consider how
the Gutenberg galaxy manifests and then we an look at some examples of the work from the 19th century. In 1969 The
Gutenberg Galaxy by Marshall McLuhan was published. The axiom of this book was that "The medium is the message" (McLuhan, 1962). The argument in this book was that technology is
not only a tool, it is the way in which man renews and reinvents himself (McLuhan, 1962). Cultre was seen to change when moveable type was developed, the culture became
one that saw more and read more than ever before. The change was gradual but important. Information that had not be accessible before was not freer to gain access to.
The use of moveable types was a move towards homogeneity. McLuhan states; "the world of visual perspective is one of unified and homogeneous space. Such a world is alien
to the resonating diversity of spoken words. So language was the last art to accept the visual logic of Gutenberg technology, and the first to rebound in the electric age."
(McLuhan, 1962; 136) A similar perpective is taken by Eisentein (1979) who describes the use of print as "amplification and reinforcement" of messages. She argues that it is
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