hiddentype
public typography breanne fencl
hiddentype
public typography breanne fencl
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intro
concentration and creativity from you. See that tangled mess of extension cords beside your desk? Is there an ‘e’ or a ‘g’ there? What LEFT: ‘I’ found at Zona Rosa outdoor mall in Kansas City, MO.
about your coffee table? Is there a letterform there? I decided to take this concept out of my room and travel in Lawrence, KS, Kansas +Q\a 57 IVL ;\ 4W]Q[ 57 \W ÅVL W\PMZ
TYPOGRAPHY IS ALL AROUND US, EVEN WHEN
examples of this hidden type. My goal
it is not intentional. Architecture, objects, and
was to look at the world differently.
materials can also mimic the shape of familiar
Seeing things I have never seen before in
letterforms. These shapes are appealing to
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the public but can often go unnoticed. Look
seeing the world from a different angle. It is
around you. The angles and shapes that the
amazing how much more one can appreciate
structures and objects around you will form
the world when taking time to view the
shapes and soon letterforms with just a bit of
small details.
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I HAVE BEEN GOING TO SCHOOL HERE IN Lawrence for 2 full years now. As a graphic design student, you would think I would have
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noticed some of these letterforms before,
“O” “L” and “X.” This is normal. It is
especially when learning about the anatomy
easy to spot a circular window, or doorknob,
of type. Nope. The small details expose
a corner of a door frame, or a cross in
themselves only to the person who
the sidewalk. These shapes are not only
takes the time to notice. )\ Å Z[\ Q\ _I[
letterforms but basic structural devices. Right
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angles make things sturdy and regular, circles
way. 1 NW]VL Ua[MTN Å VLQVO I TW\ WN
are symmetrical and easy to interact with.
“True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision.” Edith Wharton
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The letter ‘A’ found on Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, KS.
LEFT TO RIGHT: ‘T’ ‘U’ ‘V’ all found in Lawrence, KS.
I went to Massachusetts Street, the Lawrence MY]Q^ITMV\ WN 5IQV ;\ZMM\ NWZ Ua Å Z[\ adventure WN Å VLQVO \PM[M TM\\MZNWZU[ 6
As I was walking down Mass, I walked past one of my favorite ice cream shops, Sylas & Maddy’s. On any other day, I would have walked past this store without a second glance. However, that day, I was looking with a detailed eye. I saw a door handle for the employee entrance. There was nothing too spectacular about it, just a door knob. But on closer inspection, this door knob made an ‘S.’ I then was able to continue down Mass IVL Å VL ITT \PM TM\\MZ[ WN \PM ITXPIJM\
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An important variable in the differences in letterforms is proportions. Four major variables control letterform proportion. These include, stroke to
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height ratio, contrast in stroke weight,
Mass Street in Lawrence. It appears to
x-height and proportion, and expanded
be a perfect circle. this is one example
and condensed styles. The last of
on how an ‘O’ might be found, it can be
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condensed like an oval as well. Keep your
letterforms in everyday objects. Take
eye out for all different styles of letters
for example this ‘O’ which I found on
and compare them to one another.
proportion
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In ancient middle eastern cultures, the ox was an extremely valuable animal. Not only did it provide meat, and hides, but it aided in farming. Originally, the letterform ‘A’ looked like an ox head. You can see remnants of this imagery when we turn the letter upside down.
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With a bit more concentration, I was able to find all the letterforms and compile my favorites into an alphabet. I found all of these letterforms on Massachusetts Street, the Lawrence equivalent of Main Street.
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kansascity and building was a new opportunity for a letterform, whereas the objects in more familiar areas I had already associated
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I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH KANSAS CITY VERY
with their natural uses. In this new
well. I decided to go to an outdoor mall
environment, I was able to detach any
called Zona Rosa \W \Za \W ÅVL TM\\MZNWZU[
preconceived notions and concentrate on
I thought the variety of the storefronts in
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combination with the different architecture styles would lend itself to letterforms well. I NW]VL Q\ U]KP MI[QMZ \W ÅVL \PM[M IJ[\ZIK\ letterforms probably because I was in a new environment and I did not have any past experiences and connections with these objects or buildings. Every object
The letter ‘M’ found at Zona Rosa in Kansas City.
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Instantly, I noticed a lamp that created a ‘C’ shape. What would have been a decorative swirl to the naked eye, transformed 16
instantlly for me into a letterform. I then found additional letterforms within Zona and was able to compile a different alphabet with its own characteristics.
LEFT TO RIGHT: ‘D’ ‘E’ ‘F’ all found in Kansas City, MO.
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weight Letterforms come in all shapes and sizes as we have already seen. Some large, some small; some thick, some 18
thin. All of these characteristics
When we are looking for letterforms
contribute to weight. Weight is the
in public spaces, it is important to
relative darkness or lightness of the
remember that these letterforms will
characters which results from the
also come in different weights as well.
thickness of the strokes. A given font
Looking on the streets of Zona, I found
might have many different weights such
a ‘Y’ in this lamp post. This particular
as light, bold, extra bold, and hairline.
example has a very thin weight.
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“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.� albert einstein
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The letter ‘D’ most likely began as the Phoenician letter daleth meaning door. Some people believe that the letterform represents a flap of animal skin used as a door for a tent and others believe that it resembles a carved panel of a wooden door.
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After a good amount of walking and searching around Zona, I was able to form a complete alphabet. Although different from the Lawrence equavalent, the Zona alphabet has very similar characteristics, and tone.
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“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.� wayne w dyer
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stlouis
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN ST. LOUIS. I was interested to go back to St. Louis and see how my experiences in Lawrence and 3IV[I[ +Q\a _W]TL QVÆ]MVKM PW_ 1 [I_ my home town. I decided to go to one of my favorite places growing up, Laumeier Sculpture Park. I used to go to the park often to view the numerous sculptures and spend time with my family. Now I was going to see if the vast variety of sculptures would provide me with some new letterforms.
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LEFT TO RIGHT: L,M,N,O found at Laumeier Sculpture park.
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As I arrived, I approached a pedestal which
letterforms in different styles. The
had a miniature version of a sculpture.
natural contrast of many of the sculptures’
These are used for the visually impaired
hard, metal, and urban look with the
so they can still experience the sculptures
natural surroundings lent well to the overall
through touch. While closely looking at the
appearance of the letterforms.
brass rendition, I found the letter ‘K’ in the metal branches. I then found a ‘Y’ in the same location. This was the beginning of a journey through the park experiencing the sculptures I grew up learning about in a new way. I began seeing countless
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RIGHT: A ‘K’ found in the branches of a miniture model of a piece at Laummeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, MO.
It becomes easy to see letters formed from objects with objects. But what about the space around those objects? This space is called negative space IVL \PQ[ Q[ IT[W ][MN]T NWZ ÅVLQVO hidden letterforms. Isaac Witkin’s piece Hawthorne Tree is a bronze
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work made up of sweeping liquidlike forms creating various negative
negative space
spaces within itself. When looking for letterforms within this piece, it was important for me to address the negative space. I soon found an ‘R’ in the negative space created in this piece. Only by looking at the space around the physical object was I able \W ÅVL \PQ[ TM\\MZNWZU
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RIGHT: An ‘R’ found using the negative space in Isaac Witlin’s Hawthorne Tree
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31 The letter ‘W’ is derived from the sixth letter of the proto-Sinaitic alphabet: vav. This letter originated F, U, and V as well. In Hebrew, vav means “nail” or “hook.” In ancient form it looked similar to a modern day Y, which was reminiscent of the bracket that supported a folded ship’s mast.
My day spent in Laumeier was an enjoyable and productive one. I was able to collect examples of all the letters of the alphabet and was able to compile them into a collection that is rich in creativity and originality.
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conclusion
NOW LOOK AROUND YOU. WHAT ELSE IN YOUR environment is more than meets the eye? =[QVO \PQ[ ZMĂ…VML IVL KZMI\Q^M UQVL[M\ what can you discover? This experience has taught me to appreciate the small things in my environment. Someone has designed everything that is around us. The way it exists, the way it decays, all are beautiful. When appreciated, the world becomes a much more exciting place to live.
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breanne fencl Public Type | VISC 402: Designer as Author Patrick Dooley | University of Kansas | Fall 2012
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camera used: Cannon EOS REBEL T3 typefaces: Meta Plus, Baskerville references: OX, HOUSE, STICK: THE HISTORY OF OUR ALPHABET by Don Robb MYSTERIES OF THE ALPHABET by Marc-Alain Ouaknin TYPOGRAPHIC DESIGN: FORM AND COMMUNICATION: FOURTH EDITION by Rob Carter, Ben Day, and Philip Meggs