Select two innovative typographic designers - one pre-digital (1984), the other contemporary. Provide a brief comparative analysis of their contributions to typographic practice supported by relevant examples of their work.
Herb Lubalin’s form
of typographic design was highly sculptural, establishing him as an important fixture in the typographic expressionist movement of the 1950s-60s. Lubalin utilized scale and arrangement methods, including nesting to create emphasis on shape both positive and negative in his designs. Creator of ITC Avant Garde,
Lubalin was known for his art deco influence.
Lubalin reinterprets the way in which meaning is communicated
in his designs. He sees type as not only a set of symbols, but for its wealth
of form and line.
Contemporary typographer Phil Garnham of Fontsmith has a different approach to type. His new project, FS Emeric illustrates his function based philosophy. Here, he accentuates structure and universality, aiming for a neutral typeface free of embellishment.
The typeface is influenced by the modernist aesthetic, favoring weight in line and curve. Not unlike Lubalins approach, however, its application can favour sculptural form rather than its purely functional purpose. Design firms including Pentagram created posters using FS Emeric for its launch.
References:
http://new.pentagram.com/2013/04/new-work-fs-emeric-poster/
http://www.10yearsintype.com/#!phil-garnham
http://www.typetoken.net/theory/14-exclusive-interview-with-fontsmiths-phil-garnham/
http://www.aiga.org/medalist-herblubalin/
http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/rethinking-lubalin
No comments:
Post a Comment