Kinetic Typeography, styled by Quentin Tarantino ( warning x-rated language )
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Leonetto Cappiell0
Leonetto Cappiello was born in Livorno Italy. He first
began painting in 1886 at the age of 11 and his school
books were soon filled with drawings. In 1892 at the
age of 17 he knew all the painters of Livorno and Tuscany,
and had his first exhibit in Florence. He developed his skills
in caricature and in 1896 had his first album of caricatures
"Lanterna Magica" published.
In 1898 Cappiello traveled to Paris where his brother works
in the stock market. His first important encounter was with
a fellow Italian in Paris, Puccini. He subsequently does his
first works of Puccini in 'Le Rire' a humours revue, where he
will continue to do caricatures through the early 1900's. His
caricatures were of all the most famous artists of the time
and becomes a part of the Pais scene, with Yvette Guilbert,
Puccini, Sarah Bernhardt etc. In 1899 another album of his
caricatures appears "Nos Atrices" (Our Actors) printed by
the Revue Blanche.
1899 Cappiello starts his career in graphic design and posters
with the appearance of Cachou Lajaunie, Les Amandines des
Provence. By 1904 Cappiello has so much work he abandons
his work with editions like Assiette du Beurre and La Rire and
others, where he is predominantly a Caricaturist and begins
focusing solely on his graphics. During the years between 1899
and 1939 he is responsible for over 3000 posters.
His early designs were revolutionary, and he continually transformed his style leaving caricature design for graphic design eventually, starting with Parapluies Revel in 1922 and continuing up until his last pieces like Mossant and the Paris Expostion.
The emerging fashions of mass graphic design & large wall broadsheet like posters dominated public design in Paris at the time, along with design studios like "The Alliance Graphique"with other notable designers such as Cassandre and his generation of illustrators.
Leonetto Cappiello was born in Livorno Italy. He first
began painting in 1886 at the age of 11 and his school
books were soon filled with drawings. In 1892 at the
age of 17 he knew all the painters of Livorno and Tuscany,
and had his first exhibit in Florence. He developed his skills
in caricature and in 1896 had his first album of caricatures
"Lanterna Magica" published.
In 1898 Cappiello traveled to Paris where his brother works
in the stock market. His first important encounter was with
a fellow Italian in Paris, Puccini. He subsequently does his
first works of Puccini in 'Le Rire' a humours revue, where he
will continue to do caricatures through the early 1900's. His
caricatures were of all the most famous artists of the time
and becomes a part of the Pais scene, with Yvette Guilbert,
Puccini, Sarah Bernhardt etc. In 1899 another album of his
caricatures appears "Nos Atrices" (Our Actors) printed by
the Revue Blanche.
1899 Cappiello starts his career in graphic design and posters
with the appearance of Cachou Lajaunie, Les Amandines des
Provence. By 1904 Cappiello has so much work he abandons
his work with editions like Assiette du Beurre and La Rire and
others, where he is predominantly a Caricaturist and begins
focusing solely on his graphics. During the years between 1899
and 1939 he is responsible for over 3000 posters.
His early designs were revolutionary, and he continually transformed his style leaving caricature design for graphic design eventually, starting with Parapluies Revel in 1922 and continuing up until his last pieces like Mossant and the Paris Expostion.
The emerging fashions of mass graphic design & large wall broadsheet like posters dominated public design in Paris at the time, along with design studios like "The Alliance Graphique"with other notable designers such as Cassandre and his generation of illustrators.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
an exhibit design at the American Museum of Natural History ( in NYC )
the exhibit, " Darwin" tells the story of both the life and the science of the 19thcentury scientist and theoretician. It brings together artifacts and documents from throughout his life with a contemporary study of his science.
The main challenge of the exhibit's design was to evoke the Victorian context of his life as well as to emphasize the continuing relevance of his science.
The graphic design focuses on the idea of “looking closely,” inspired by Darwin’s
own magnifying glass, the first artifact of the exhibition. Graphics play with shiftingscales, moving back and forth from macro to micro views. Large images are created of many smaller images: an orchid is composed of thousands of tiny birds, insects, reptiles and other animals; a wallpaper pattern is derived from beetles and terriers.
On the macro level, images are enlarged to the point of abstraction for case panels and wall banners. Because the photo budget was limited, these images were generated by simply scanning found objects.
The London wallpaper literally disintegrates, evoking the corrosive effect of Darwin's theories on the previously established order. The displays typography refers to 19 thcentury woodtype posters, as well as to elements of Victorian book design, with centered and curved elements and graphic flourishes.
The designers did a really wonderful job working under very limited budget, yet were able energetically express and elegantly evoke ( sorry, couldn't help myself ...) Darwin's brilliant work and extraordinary times. (we used to visit this amazing museum as a class, alas)
Creative director: David Harvey
Art director: Stephanie Reyer
Designers: Iris Jan, Rick Onorato, Dan Ownbey, Ellen Sitkin,
Catharine Weese
Photographer: Denis Finnin
Typefaces: Tribute, Consort, Zine Sans
the exhibit, " Darwin" tells the story of both the life and the science of the 19thcentury scientist and theoretician. It brings together artifacts and documents from throughout his life with a contemporary study of his science.The main challenge of the exhibit's design was to evoke the Victorian context of his life as well as to emphasize the continuing relevance of his science.
The graphic design focuses on the idea of “looking closely,” inspired by Darwin’s
own magnifying glass, the first artifact of the exhibition. Graphics play with shiftingscales, moving back and forth from macro to micro views. Large images are created of many smaller images: an orchid is composed of thousands of tiny birds, insects, reptiles and other animals; a wallpaper pattern is derived from beetles and terriers.
On the macro level, images are enlarged to the point of abstraction for case panels and wall banners. Because the photo budget was limited, these images were generated by simply scanning found objects.
The London wallpaper literally disintegrates, evoking the corrosive effect of Darwin's theories on the previously established order. The displays typography refers to 19 thcentury woodtype posters, as well as to elements of Victorian book design, with centered and curved elements and graphic flourishes.The designers did a really wonderful job working under very limited budget, yet were able energetically express and elegantly evoke ( sorry, couldn't help myself ...) Darwin's brilliant work and extraordinary times. (we used to visit this amazing museum as a class, alas)
Creative director: David Harvey
Art director: Stephanie Reyer
Designers: Iris Jan, Rick Onorato, Dan Ownbey, Ellen Sitkin,
Catharine Weese
Photographer: Denis Finnin
Typefaces: Tribute, Consort, Zine Sans
Friday, April 13, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
"Dada is a state of mind... Dada is artistic free thinking... Dada gives itself to nothing... ."
So is Dada defined by André Breton. Marcel Duchamp also said that " Dada is nevertheless shit and alligator piss " so it's reasonable to surmise that there wasn't allot of theoretical continuity in the movement. Even so , Dada and its celebrants, have had a profound and lasting effect on the way artists express, and perhaps more importantly, think about art.
As their antecedents the Impressionists had before them, in the famous - " Salon De Refuses " exhibit of 1863 - the artists challenged and enthusiastically rejected the formal and they felt, restrictive attitudes governing how to make art, and in fact, what a proper subject for art was. I think this kind of debate is healthy, and every generation of artists should question in some manner, aesthetic authority. Just like Mozart, Andy Warhol and Sid Vicious did, you punks.
This is not to say that Dada is definable, for it was one of the primary goals of Dada to avoid the labeling and legitimizing of the establishment. Early on in the development of the trend, Hugo Ball made it quite clear, "How can one get rid of everything that smacks of journalism, worms, everything nice and right, blinkered, moralistic, Europeanized, enervated? By saying Dada..."
The DADA movement started in Switzerland, roughly between the years 1916 and 1920, and was geared to protest World War 1. Because Switzerland was a neutral country during the war, and they strongly opposed it, the Dadaists felt the best way to help stop the horror of war - was to make an anti art... an art, which rejected the values that traditional art had expressed, and which the Dadadist's felt along with everything else, had contributed to war.
The movement is recognized as the quintessential anti-art movement and its aim was, seemingly, to have no meaning - to embrace anarchy and absurdity - because it attacked and rejected the materials and notions of what was at the time considered - high art. The movement mainly included visual arts, poetry, theater and graphic design, but also included activities such as public demonstrations.
Some of the original dadaists included - Hannah Hoch, Marcel Duchamp, John Heartfield, and Kurt Schwitters. By definition DADA art is not considered art per se, and the DADA artists not artist because almost anything can be considered DADA. Although this may be true , DADA art is said to have laid the groundwork for such movements as Cubism and Futurism, and it also said to have made assemblage, collage, photomontage, and ready made objects more socially acceptable as art objects.
Dada was as much a cultural movement and developed originally from a literary roots, after the poet Hugo Ball opened a gathering place for young poets, painters and musicians called Cabaret Voltaire.
Dada writers and artists were concerned with shock, protest and nonsense.
Note: Nonsense might seem an odd subject for art, but in some contexts, its perhaps a reasonable resposnse to the times. As an example, during the rigid cultural pretensions of Neo-classicism 19th cent. France , or the insecurities of pre-war Europe, or even the pressurecooker of 1950's suburban America, .... nonsense made perfect sense. .....
The Dada movement claimed to be anti-art and had a strong nihilistic/anarchic element. Dadaists didn’t even agree on the origin of the name Dada. One version says the movement was named when a Dadaist opened a French-German dictionary and randomly selected the word dada, meaning a child’s hobbyhorse.
One of Dada’s most prominent visual artists was the French painter Marcel Duchamp who outraged many when he painted a mustache on a reproduction of the Mona Lisa. Dada quickly spread throughout Europe as Dadaists said they were not creating art but mocking and defaming a society gone insane, even though many Dada artists produced very meaningful visual art and dramatically influenced graphic design.
Also Dada artists claimed to have invented photo-montage, which was a technique of manipulating photographic images to create jarring juxtapositions and chance associations. Through spontaneous chance actions with planned decisions,
Dadaists helped strip typographic design of it’s traditional precepts. Also continuing cubism’s concept of letterforms as concrete visual shapes, not just phonetic symbols.
to be discussed in class, both 1+2. Zo, do your WERK !
So is Dada defined by André Breton. Marcel Duchamp also said that " Dada is nevertheless shit and alligator piss " so it's reasonable to surmise that there wasn't allot of theoretical continuity in the movement. Even so , Dada and its celebrants, have had a profound and lasting effect on the way artists express, and perhaps more importantly, think about art.
As their antecedents the Impressionists had before them, in the famous - " Salon De Refuses " exhibit of 1863 - the artists challenged and enthusiastically rejected the formal and they felt, restrictive attitudes governing how to make art, and in fact, what a proper subject for art was. I think this kind of debate is healthy, and every generation of artists should question in some manner, aesthetic authority. Just like Mozart, Andy Warhol and Sid Vicious did, you punks.
This is not to say that Dada is definable, for it was one of the primary goals of Dada to avoid the labeling and legitimizing of the establishment. Early on in the development of the trend, Hugo Ball made it quite clear, "How can one get rid of everything that smacks of journalism, worms, everything nice and right, blinkered, moralistic, Europeanized, enervated? By saying Dada..."
The DADA movement started in Switzerland, roughly between the years 1916 and 1920, and was geared to protest World War 1. Because Switzerland was a neutral country during the war, and they strongly opposed it, the Dadaists felt the best way to help stop the horror of war - was to make an anti art... an art, which rejected the values that traditional art had expressed, and which the Dadadist's felt along with everything else, had contributed to war.
The movement is recognized as the quintessential anti-art movement and its aim was, seemingly, to have no meaning - to embrace anarchy and absurdity - because it attacked and rejected the materials and notions of what was at the time considered - high art. The movement mainly included visual arts, poetry, theater and graphic design, but also included activities such as public demonstrations.
Some of the original dadaists included - Hannah Hoch, Marcel Duchamp, John Heartfield, and Kurt Schwitters. By definition DADA art is not considered art per se, and the DADA artists not artist because almost anything can be considered DADA. Although this may be true , DADA art is said to have laid the groundwork for such movements as Cubism and Futurism, and it also said to have made assemblage, collage, photomontage, and ready made objects more socially acceptable as art objects.
Dada was as much a cultural movement and developed originally from a literary roots, after the poet Hugo Ball opened a gathering place for young poets, painters and musicians called Cabaret Voltaire.
Dada writers and artists were concerned with shock, protest and nonsense.
Note: Nonsense might seem an odd subject for art, but in some contexts, its perhaps a reasonable resposnse to the times. As an example, during the rigid cultural pretensions of Neo-classicism 19th cent. France , or the insecurities of pre-war Europe, or even the pressurecooker of 1950's suburban America, .... nonsense made perfect sense. .....
The Dada movement claimed to be anti-art and had a strong nihilistic/anarchic element. Dadaists didn’t even agree on the origin of the name Dada. One version says the movement was named when a Dadaist opened a French-German dictionary and randomly selected the word dada, meaning a child’s hobbyhorse.
One of Dada’s most prominent visual artists was the French painter Marcel Duchamp who outraged many when he painted a mustache on a reproduction of the Mona Lisa. Dada quickly spread throughout Europe as Dadaists said they were not creating art but mocking and defaming a society gone insane, even though many Dada artists produced very meaningful visual art and dramatically influenced graphic design.
Also Dada artists claimed to have invented photo-montage, which was a technique of manipulating photographic images to create jarring juxtapositions and chance associations. Through spontaneous chance actions with planned decisions,
Dadaists helped strip typographic design of it’s traditional precepts. Also continuing cubism’s concept of letterforms as concrete visual shapes, not just phonetic symbols.
to be discussed in class, both 1+2. Zo, do your WERK !
Monday, April 09, 2007
UNIVERSCALE want to know the scale of everything in the universe ? this site is amazing
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/feelnikon/discovery/universcale/index_f.htm
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/feelnikon/discovery/universcale/index_f.htm
Rowland Scherman’s “Love Letters”
" When I lived in London (1970-74), I saw an etching by Bracelli that showed angels flying around to create the Alphabet. I wondered if humans could do that; and inasmuch as my studio was right next door to the Covent Garden Dance Centre, I asked some pals there if they’d like to try. “Sure”, they said.
A couple of rehearsals and two days later we had it. No one got paid. It was just a high-spirited valentine for the eye, but when I realized it might be the first photographic freestanding human typeface ever (it was), I tried for a while to make a coffee table-type book out of it. New York publishers were afraid that the pubes and the Z might offend someone. This was in 1975. Japanese publishers
couldn’t do it either because of the pubic hair.
Love Letters by Rowland Scherman, 1975
Later I had a slide show in a gallery in Alabama in 1979 and no one so much as complained. Teachers even brought their 3rd grade students to see it.
Love Letters was also shown at the Arnol-Fini Gallery in Bristol and at the Photographer’s Gallery in London. Then the chromes (the slides) sat in a closet for a decade or so. When I learned the rudiments of Photoshop, I did what would have been prohibitive in analog photography days and started making the typeface useable: spelling out greetings, making an eye chart, etc.
I really don’t know why it hasn’t had a more successful life. Yes I do: marketing. Not my strongest point.
The original chromes are 6x7”cm. It can be made to mammoth scale. I owe an important debt of gratitude to my (then) assistant, Chris Thomson, who designed the lighting and lots more."
Rowland Scherman
Orleans MA, December 2006
note... I added the melted soldier font, er ..
" When I lived in London (1970-74), I saw an etching by Bracelli that showed angels flying around to create the Alphabet. I wondered if humans could do that; and inasmuch as my studio was right next door to the Covent Garden Dance Centre, I asked some pals there if they’d like to try. “Sure”, they said.A couple of rehearsals and two days later we had it. No one got paid. It was just a high-spirited valentine for the eye, but when I realized it might be the first photographic freestanding human typeface ever (it was), I tried for a while to make a coffee table-type book out of it. New York publishers were afraid that the pubes and the Z might offend someone. This was in 1975. Japanese publishers
couldn’t do it either because of the pubic hair.
Love Letters by Rowland Scherman, 1975
Later I had a slide show in a gallery in Alabama in 1979 and no one so much as complained. Teachers even brought their 3rd grade students to see it.
Love Letters was also shown at the Arnol-Fini Gallery in Bristol and at the Photographer’s Gallery in London. Then the chromes (the slides) sat in a closet for a decade or so. When I learned the rudiments of Photoshop, I did what would have been prohibitive in analog photography days and started making the typeface useable: spelling out greetings, making an eye chart, etc.
I really don’t know why it hasn’t had a more successful life. Yes I do: marketing. Not my strongest point.
The original chromes are 6x7”cm. It can be made to mammoth scale. I owe an important debt of gratitude to my (then) assistant, Chris Thomson, who designed the lighting and lots more."
Rowland Scherman
Orleans MA, December 2006
note... I added the melted soldier font, er ..
ephemera ... you may remember that word from our discussions, about how sometimes remarkable and revealing glimpses of a period, or a place or person can be found in the most unlikely of places - The marginalia of lives, revealed quietly by old tickets in a dresser drawer , a box of faded photos, expired stamps and tickets, human memories on paper. A window into the past, here's two actual letterheads, as an example
click to enlarge
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
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