ThoughtGallery.org > Character Traits; or Can the Early Twentieth Century Please End?

Character Traits; or Can the Early Twentieth Century Please End?

The literature of early twentieth-century typographic industries presented a highly edited view of lettering history in support of their own products. The result was an historical sleight of hand that presented the period’s technological and aesthetic presumptions as timeless fact. These late-Industrial aesthetics continue to exert a disproportionate influence on contemporary digital type design. In this talk, Russell Maret will attempt to tease out a different historical view of lettering, one that proposes that Industrial aesthetics should not be treated as the rule but the aberration in letter design. Along the way, he’ll touch on related topics such as Is legibility worth it? Are digital letterforms type? and other hot-button issues.

Russell will have a selection of his typographic books on hand for viewing after the talk.











When: Wed., Nov. 13, 2019 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Where: The Cooper Union
7 E. 7th St. | 41 Cooper Sq.
212-353-4100
Price: Free
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The literature of early twentieth-century typographic industries presented a highly edited view of lettering history in support of their own products. The result was an historical sleight of hand that presented the period’s technological and aesthetic presumptions as timeless fact. These late-Industrial aesthetics continue to exert a disproportionate influence on contemporary digital type design. In this talk, Russell Maret will attempt to tease out a different historical view of lettering, one that proposes that Industrial aesthetics should not be treated as the rule but the aberration in letter design. Along the way, he’ll touch on related topics such as Is legibility worth it? Are digital letterforms type? and other hot-button issues.

Russell will have a selection of his typographic books on hand for viewing after the talk.

Buy tickets/get more info now