Wolfgang Weingart was a German graphic designer, author and teacher known for his ‘New Wave’ Swiss aesthetic.
Weingart studied at Merz Academy, Stuttgart, Germany. After his studies, he started a three-year apprenticeship at Ruew Prinint in Stuttgart, working as a typesetter. Whilst at the firm, a former student of Armin Hofmann’s named Karl-August Hanke convinced Weingart to study at the prestigious Basel School of Design, Switzerland.
He enrolled and in 1964 began studying at the School, although his first reactions to the teachings of Emil Ruder and Armin Hofmann were negative, and he felt Swiss design to be too structured and rigid. However, as he immersed himself in the work, he began to appreciate the precision and discipline that characterised Swiss design principles.
Weingart later became a teacher at the School (1968) and his aim was to follow the tradition and philosophy of Basel School of Arts, whilst challenging the rules. Whilst teaching he regularly designed covers for Typographische Monatsblätter, collaborating with editor Rudolf Hostettler, and designed many posters for both cultural institutions and education.
His work explored and dissected Swiss typography and experimented with texture and type. His layered montages gave a sense of dynamic kinetic energy and were more maximalist than the minimalist work of his teachers. His work challenged the established norms and his New Wave/Swiss Punk style became its own style.
