MENGÜ ERTEL'S DESIGN STYLE (SAMPLE OF POSTER DESIGNS)

Abstract

The art of graphic design, which emerged in the establishment phase of the Republic and developed with the effective support of master artists, started to blossom through successful works. In the field of graphic design, the first unforgettable name that comes to mind as a Republican era artist is İhap Hulusi Görey. Another graphic designer, Mengü Ertel, who, like Görey, has made a name for himself in Turkey with his designs -especially theatrical poster designs-, has followed the western design language since the Academy of Fine Arts. Although he considered the original stance of Polish posters as close to his own design language, it is visible in the designs he made that he has captured a unique style in poster designs and became original over time. This research aims to analyze the Ertel-specific style in the posters designed by Mengü Ertel, taking into account the design approaches of the period. The research seeks to answer the following question: “How is the style in the poster designs of Mengü Ertel?” In this context, Ertel's poster designs were examined using the "content analysis" technique, which is based on the survey model. In the research, 103 posters designed by Mengü Ertel were analyzed. The findings show that unique patterns are at the forefront in Mengü Ertel's design style, and the typographic elements he used not only provide information, but are also actively used as design objects. It is identified that there was a color palette that was reflected in all posters, especially in selecting the colors. When the poster designs prepared by Mengü Ertel were examined, the economic desperation experienced did not prevent the artist from being successful in his designs, and he concentrated his love and curiosity for the art of theater on the axis of poster designs and created original designs. In addition, the research has set as a side goal of creating knowledge about a crucial graphic designer in Turkey by contributing to the very few academic studies about Mengü Ertel.