General Dynamics - Energetic Earth

This original vintage poster, titled “Energetic Earth,” was created by Erik Nitsche in 1960 for General Dynamics and its Material Service division. Material Service, a major producer of building materials, limestone and coal, became part of General Dynamics in 1959. The poster was part of Nitsche’s third and final series of designs for General Dynamics, promoting the company’s expanding industrial and technological divisions. The design represents energy drawn from the earth. Against a dark, abstract landscape, a vertical arrow descends through the composition, changing from cool blue to yellow and then red as it penetrates underground. The surrounding geometric forms suggest buildings and an industrial landscape, connecting the energy and raw materials beneath the earth with the communities and industries they serve. General Dynamics was formed in 1952 when it became the parent company of the Electric Boat Company and several other U.S. defense and industrial companies. During the 1950s, General Dynamics expanded rapidly into aviation, electronics, nuclear technology and other advanced industries. The company commissioned Erik Nitsche to develop a unified visual identity and a series of posters presenting its scientific and technological activities to an international audience.Erik Nitsche (1908–1998) was a Swiss-born graphic designer who became an important figure in American modernist design. He served as art director for General Dynamics during the 1950s and created a celebrated series of posters and corporate publications for the company. His General Dynamics designs combined abstract imagery, geometry and modern typography to communicate complex subjects in science, technology and industry.This is an Original Vintage Poster, it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all our posters.