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Typographic North
Public • 31 • Free
10 contributions to Typographic North
Aug 15
in
The stroke. Theory of writing.
By Gerrit Noordzij. I’m about to read this small book and try to understand more deeply the relationship between culture, technology and the forms of the letters. Is anyone here familiar with this book and Noordzij’s ideas? Synopsis: “Published in Dutch in 1985, The stroke now appears for the first time in an English-language edition. The book puts forward a genuine theory of all writing, with any kind of implement: thus it covers both western and what we call ‘non-western’ writing. Noordzij starts from basic principles, and gives his attention first to the space around the letters: the white space that serves to define and distinguish what any letter is. He describes in minute detail how the strokes of writing can be formed. Here he uses simple geometrical concepts to underpin his descriptions. So the book is far from a work about art calligraphy and beautiful forms. Rather it is a sustained description of the phenomenon of letters and how they are made in writing. Noordzij’s theory serves to repair the split that grew up, with the invention of printing, between written and typographic letters. He shows us the underlying ‘written’ quality of all letters, with whatever technology they have been formed. With these ideas Noordzij can be seen as a prophet of digital typography, in which typefaces have been freed from the constraints of their embodiment in metal.”
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New comment Aug 15
1 like • Aug 15
I read it a long time ago. The diagram on the cover, and his clear division between flat nib letters (showing the principle of translation) and pointed pen letters (following the principle of expansion) brought me essential insights. After that I could better see through the outer appearances of letters. I learned more from it than from many of my thicker and prestigious looking books. I found his theory magnificent yet very hard to make abstraction of his peculiar (and to me rather annoying) writing style. His influence on the students of the Academy of The Hague has been considerable. Often I can immediately spot his influence because he takes the writing tool as primordial. This interesting way of looking at letters simultaneously shuts down alternative ways of building letter shapes. As a letter cutter - out of frustration about letter cutting being the little brother of ... - I have tried to develop letter shapes that are less indebted to calligraphy and type. I think design for digital type can also choose to follow some of the beauties and practical aspects of pen calligraphy if it wishes so but does not per se need to do it. I guess the technical side of digital type brings its specific possibilities, and less restrictions than hot type. A danger of a too wide range of possibilities though is to loose solid ground and design 'into the wild'. Always a tempting thing of course...
Jul 21
in
A future crushed
Found in Finland. If this is supposed to look futuristic I hope for a better future for us all. What’s with the Finnish company name underneath, squashed to bits?
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New comment Jul 21
0 likes • Jul 21
makes me think of the painting 'The Ambassadors' by Hans Holbein where you recognize the skull only when you look at the painting from its side. (last week I saw a riverboat called FUTURA , also not set in 'the' Futura ;-)
Jul 3
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Märtha Louise & Durek Verrett's monogram
Norway's former princess Märtha Louise and her «shaman» husband Durek Verrett are still generating news headlines in Norway – this one typography related: about their monogram on a bottle of gin they've released. Christopher Haanes, renowned calligrapher (and my former teacher) says that the M and the D deviate so much from normative letters that they can barely be recognised as such, and questions why the M is so dominant compared to the D. Others criticise the two letters for belonging to different stylistic periods, being disturbingly nearly symmetrical and lacking a consistent stroke width and curvature. What do you think of it? https://www.nrk.no/mr/skriftekspertar-om-monogrammet-til-martha-louise-og-durek_-_-amatormessig-forma-ut-1.16947100
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New comment Jul 19
1 like • Jul 16
I don't see the fact that the letters deviate from 'the norm' should be a negative aspect. I think, as a sign, a kind of monogram, one needs a distinct and recognizable design (icon-quality). I do agree with the criticism that the M is dominant over the D, however, it may reflect their relationship ;-). Does the spirit of commercializing Gin relate to their spiritual explanations?
Jan 29
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Introduce yourself
Hello! If you're new here, I'd like you to comment below with • your name • your location • your favourite typeface • anything else you'd like to share
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New comment 20d ago
2 likes • Apr 27
@Henrik Eriksen GT Pressura is new to me. special flavour to it, something '70's? I see it on very smooth slightly shiny paper.
2 likes • May 10
Hello, and welcome. nice to get to know Haultin. I read 'the counterpunch' by Fred Smeijers long ago and remember it as a truly fascinating book.
Apr 24
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Work in progress Wednesday – April 24 2024
Work in progress Wednesday? Why not! Let's share some work and motivate ourselves to get things done. I'm working on some personal work: sketching out some books on classical Western philosophy. I need to show a broader range of work in my portfolio, so I'm forcing myself to work on these things every week now. What are you working on?
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New comment Apr 27
1 like • Apr 27
I like the calm in your pages Kristen!
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@kristoffel-boudens-5440
1958. Art school / painting. Letter cutter since 1989. My father was a calligrapher and I have 1 brother and 2 sisters into letters.
Active 35d ago
Joined Jan 31, 2024
Bruges / Belgium
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