The types we love to hate
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swissnex boston administrator
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Oct 27, 2010 05:20 PM
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The types we love to hate
Nov 22, 2010 05:57 PM
We are all increasingly cognizant of the fonts we choose when we type. No more is it a drab Helvetica presentation: each font evokes a unique emotion, tone and situation. And with all the new fonts out there today, isn’t it time we go beyond the usual fonts? Isn’t it time we go “Beyond Helvetica?”
That was the title of an extraordinary event hosted by swissnex Boston on October 27. “Beyond Helvetica: A look at the power of typography” was part of the groundbreaking typeface exhibition by the University of Art and Design (ECAL), on show at MIT’s Compton Gallery.
Featuring renowned designers Ken Barber of the Maryland Institute’s College of Art and François Rappo, who heads the master’s in Art Direction at ECAL, the event drew a standing-room-only audience at MIT—more than 200 font lovers!
Their presentations were equally intriguing, though dramatically different. Mr. Barber, through color, vividness and humor, shared his thoughts on the artistic and commercial value of lettering, engaging the audience with both well-known and original fonts—Helvetica included.
Mr. Rappo, who curated the "Types We Can Make" exhibition, sought a common agenda for type designers in both Switzerland and the USA with a clean, chic, highly detailed presentation.
However, the message from both speakers was clear: typography is powerful tool that shapes artists’ careers and even their lives—even their love-hate relationships with Helvetica.
