Systems of Communication AD103 Introduction to Typography ...

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Introduction to Typography. Turning marks into sounds .... Clair, K. and Busic- Snyder, C. (2005) A Typographic Workbook, Wiley. Fawcett-Tang, R. (2007) New  ...
Systems of Communication AD103 Introduction to Typography Turning marks into sounds

Successful communication depends upon understanding and agreement of what the communicator intends

Adumbrate –verb (used with object), -brat_ed, brat_ing. 1.to produce a faint image or resemblance of; to outline or sketch. 2.to foreshadow; prefigure. 3.to darken or conceal partially; overshadow. _

What we will be looking at • cave drawings to pictographs – visualising ideas in a chain of thoughts • word writing in which every picture represents a word • word sounding in which every symbol represents a sound • syllable sounding where more complex sounds can be created • to an alphabet in which each symbol represents a sound • writing preserves our hard-won knowledge, experience and thought what will our descendents know about us that we don’t know about our own ancestors?

pictogram = object/action ideogram = concept/idea phonogram = soundmark

we expect a lot from these few simple marks too

retina’s photo receptors converts light to neural signal optic nerve carries the signal to the lateral geniculate nucleus

this directs the signal to the visual cortex at the back of the brain

the written marks are processed and recognised as corresponding to specific sounds, concepts or things

live

evil

How far are we really detached from our ancestors?

a poem by Dong Zuo-Bing, 4600BC

650,000 hrs I was born in 1955, my father in 1921, his father in1897, my son in 1987. Great grandparent to great grandson creates a real connection over 200 years. 2 generations easily span 100 years Cave paintings might have been made by relatives only 280 generations ago 40 generations ago when Jesus Christ was alive Printing from movable type was introduced into Europe only 11 generations ago

Things continue to change and evolve

Just how long have we been around?

The first marks • scratched into stone or bone fragments • painted forms in charcoal and red and yellow iron oxides • evolution in style, form and method of application • from pictures to symbols almost resembling letters

The invention of writing – Mesopotamia • humans ceased to be nomads and established village cultures • Sumerians establish civilisation in modern day Iraq 5000BC • need for administration and record keeping – clay tags • the incising of soft clay with a wooden stylus - cuniform

The invention of writing – Mesopotamia • evolved in time to represent sounds as well as objects • rationalised to 560 signs • enabled the creation of the first libraries • regulated social order and justice • one of the first common written languages • developed the cylinder seal as an early signature

The Egyptians • although influenced by the Sumerians they retained a pictorial language • ‘Hieroglyphics’ (Sacred Carving) was the formal script • ‘Hieratic’ Script - of the Priesthood (1500BC) • ‘Demotic’ Script – of the People (400BC) • gradually abstracted to a less pictorial more alphabetic form • used ideographs, phonographs, rebus and alphabet scripts together • they also developed papyrus a cheaper durable medium • last used about 400AD when under Roman rule

The Phoenicians • situated in modern Lebanon • developed the basis for our alphabet around 1600 BC at Byblos • origin in Egyptian pictograms but evolved to single phonemes (word sounds) – “Phonetic” alphabet • 100 characters rationalised to 22 symbols representing sounds not objects • these could be coupled to create more complex sounds • the first easy-to-read popular alphabet

You can already see some letters as we know them – K, O, W

The pictogram became

the Phoenician symbol Aleph (meaning Ox)

then the Greek symbol Alpha

to the Roman symbol A that we use today

The Greeks • The Greeks evolved their alphabet from Phoenician around 1000BC • They created vowels (connecting sounds), adding spaces and writing left to right • The Greek alphabet was standardised around 500BC • Created both the geometrical inscriptional form (for carving) and a rounded “Uncial” (Latin word for Inch) form for writing • The Greek alphabet fathered the Etruscan, Latin and Cyrillic forms • Semetic and Arabic letterforms are also derived from the Phoenician model but will not be part of our study

The Romans • The Romans adopted the Greek letterforms via the Etruscans • They added new characters to enable them to pronounce Greek words following their conquest in the first century BC • Developed distinct Quadrata and Rustica forms of lettering • Evolved ascenders and descenders in everyday script • Developed the Greek Uncial and Half Uncial which will become evident in the art of the manuscript book • Developed geometric inscriptional letterforms and serifs. • This is what we call “Roman” (Trajan 116AD)

the Rosetta Stone

Thank you for your attention Questions?

References Lupton, E. (2007) Thinking with type, Princeton Architectural Press Perfect, C. (1992) The Complete Typographer, Prentice Hall Ambrose, G. & Harris, P. (2006) The Fundamentals of Typography, AVA Academia Ambrose, G. & Harris, P. (2008) The Production Manual, AVA Academia Ambrose, G. & Harris, P. (2005) Typography, AVA Academia Baines, P. & Haslam, A. (2002) Type & Typography, Lawrence King Carter, R. (1997) Experimental Typography – working with computer type no.4, Rotovision Clair, K. and Busic-Snyder, C. (2005) A Typographic Workbook, Wiley Fawcett-Tang, R. (2007) New Typographic Design, Lawrence King Hardy Wilson, D. (2002) An Encyclopaedia of Calligraphy Techniques, Sterling Haslam, A. (2006) Book Design, Lawrence King Healey, M. (2008) What is Branding?, Rotovision Heller, S. and Fili, L. (2004) Euro Deco: Graphic Design Between The Wars, Chronicle Books Jaspert, Berry and Johnson (1962) Encyclopaedia of Type Faces, Pitman Jury, D. (2006) What is Typography, Rotovision Klein, N. (2000) No Logo, Collins McLean, R. (1995) Typographers on Type, Lund Humphries Meggs, P. and Pirvis, A. (2005) Megg’s History of Graphic Design (4e) Wiley Nesbitt, A. (1957) The History and Technique of Lettering, Dover Publications Pipes, P. (2005) Production for Graphic Designers (4e) Overlook Hardcover Rookledge, G. (2004) Rookledge’s Classic International Typefinder, Lawrence King Samara, T. (2007) Publication Design Workbook, Rockport Samara, T. (2006) Typography Workbook, Rockport Simmons, J. (2007) The Designer’s Desktop Manual, Rotovision Spencer, H. and Poyner, R. (2004) Pioneers of modern typography, revised edition, The MIT Press Steinberg, S.H. (1996) Five Hundred years of Printing, Oak Knoll Press Twyman, M. (1970) Printing 1770 -1970, Eyre & Spottiswoode Wilson Harvey (produced annually) The Best of Brochure Design, Rockport