BLOG 10 Don't mistake legibility for communication

This is a piece from David Carson. I used to find his style somewhat cluttered and difficult to parse. But as I explored more of his work, I find it more appealing and understandable. Just looking at images on Google, this one jumped out at me as representing his ideas on design. He uses type to evoke emotions.  He makes the viewer work for the message. In this composition, he overlaps various typefaces in a black mass.  Looking at the less dense areas, one can determine that he is stating his message (Don’t mistake legibility for communication) over and over again. On top of the mass of text, he obviously states his message using positive and negative text images. In the composition, the use of white space and the placement of his name in red at the upper left-hand corner is very appealing to me (using a 5 for the s in Carson). His name in red and the large separation from the main composition creates a dual focal point. Although, the font unifies his name with the rest of the piece. The typeface for his name, Don’t mistake and for communication is a serif font reminiscent of an old-time typewriter perhaps Courier - it looks like it is an mono-spaced typeface. The typeface for legibility is a san serif typeface with a fairly high x-height. The idea that communication and legibility are not mutually exclusive is one that I am just beginning to realize - the lines between text, art, and communication are blurred in our digital age.

BLOG 9 MACBETH

This poster was created by Lippa Pearce for a production of Shakespeare's Macbeth.  I found this illustration compelling for three reasons; it was created completely of type, the type is formed from a non-traditional medium (a bloodlike substance); and the negative space is the means to the graphic force.  The use of splattered blood in the poster creates an immediate visceral reaction.  We have all seen it used before in horror movies and to depict murder.  But it also represents more serious and deathly issues such as war, crime, and genocide.  In this case, I feel like it was used judiciously to represent a serious crime - a crime that will haunt the audience not just give them a momentary chill and thrill.  Blood is the frame for the title in the Macbeth poster which makes it take on a distorted, obscured shape.  Thus, creating a greater significance.  Also, creating text from the negative space forces the viewer to decipher the composition which increases the interaction between viewer and the message.  

As far as the type goes, I thought it was Helvetica Bold Condensed but then I looked at the rounded edge on the E. But maybe that was an intentional imperfection?

Source:  Heller, Steven and Mirko Ilic, The Anatomy of Design, Rockport Publishers, Beverly, Massachusetts, 2009

BLOG 8 Lou Reed

I was reminded of this poster after seeing our classmate Jason's blog post last week.  Admittedly, it's it low-tech version but still very powerful. The poster was created by Stefan Sagmeister to promote Lou Reed's 1996 CD, Set the Twilight Reeling.  I've included the CD cover, too. It's very dark which definitely reflects the mood of the CD. The poster is a black & white photo of Reed with hand-written lyrics of the title track of the CD printed across his face like graffiti. This creates a frank and unyielding directness which is typical for this period in Lou Reed's career. The important words and phrases of the song are capitalized and/or enlarged for emphasis; heart, sex, seems to cry, sun, retards, as the twilight sunburst gleams.  Yet some of the lyrics are hopeful and even tender: As the twilight sunburst gleam, as the chromium moon it set. As I lose all my regrets and set the twilight reeling. I accept the new found man and set the twilight reeling. These are the last words of the song after a huge transformation takes place; years of drugs and rehab that finally took root. Anyway, I love the idea of using the contours of the face to reflect the ideas of the person.  I think this is a very effective portrayal of Lou Reed using own image, soulful eyes, and thoughtful lyrics.