Cross-Pollination

Right now the topics in my Typography class overlap with History of Graphic Arts.  It almost feels like cheating -- learning about something in one class that you can apply in another -- but hey, I'll take it!!

In both classes, we are learning about the development of writing and typography.  I really like all the links that are included in my Typography class and thought I'd list them here for others and for future reference:

Paper, Leather, Clay & Stone: The Written Word Materialized

http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/Paper-exhibit/intro.html

A Brief History of Typefaces

http://www.papress.com/thinkingwithtype/teachers/type_lecture/Type_Lecture.pdf

Short Video: Typography is What Language Looks Like

http://bigbert.vfs.com/~dd07marcos/mograph/typographics_h264.mov

Aspect of the Victorian Book

http://www.bl.uk/collections/early/victorian/intro.html

In addition, I thought I'd add Kevin Steele's wonderful pop-up book on typography here.  It was part of the gallery show for the Moveable Book Society's conference that I went to last month.  Most of the people at the conference were graphic artists of some kind and we all agree that Kevin should have this book mass-produced -- its that good -- but right now it is a handmade one-of-a-kind.  The YouTube video shows the book in action and is very well produced and clear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4eaD-gh_NE

The write-up for this book and the rest of the show can be found at:

http://www.23sandy.com/popup/artists/steele.html

Field Notes: Meggs' History of Graphic Design

I loved looking at all the pictures in this book!  It starts out with early languages and then page after page marches thru time with Art: illuminated books, early line drawings, German typography, Harper's Bazaar, Art Deco, Japanese woodcuts, war posters, 1960s rock posters -- all tumbling out in a fabulous timeline. 

It was a great way to spend a rainy afternoon in Portland; I had gone to Powell's City of Books (ok definitely the world's largest bookstore; i let myself get lost both in it and in just the art section!).  A hot cup of tea, a comfy chair, the rain hitting the window: I didn't really want to form any opinion, I just wanted to look and admire, to let each page show me what it had. Some of these I have seen and it was like spotting someone you've met before, others were new.  I laughed when I got to graphics from when I was younger -- it makes me feel old that something I remember seeing when it was new is in a history book.  Yeah, we were cool.

I especially loved the Typography.  I was a typesetter and to me, letters are the personality of the block of text.  You can communicate so much with the right typeface.  So many of the pictures were about type: how it evolved, was defined then defied and re-defined.  Many of the faces from the late 70s and early 80s I typeset.  I remember the art directors and graphic artists I worked for and how they used them.  Some being "too modern" -- they look dated now -- and some for the clients that wanted to look hip.

I'm really looking forward to this class.

PS I'm also looking forward to getting my scanner to work and some pictures in here.  I'll do battle later this week and edit this.