In this brief video graphic designer and illustrator Seb Lester demonstrates a form of Medieval blackletter typography that was used commonly in Europe from 1150 to around the 17th century. From a person whose handwriting is almost completely illegible, almost every stroke of his pen looks like a complete miracle. (via vimeo)
While primarily working as a landscape painter and art teacher, UK artist Jamie Poole was struck with the idea of deconstructing printed poems into individual words and using the text to create large scale portraits. The final pieces are quite large measuring several feet tall, allowing for excruciating detail in both line and shadow, as well as creating an intriguing hybrid of portraiture, typography, and collage. You can see more images of Jamie’s work on his blog and in his Flickr stream. If you liked this, also check out the work of Evan Wondolowski and Lola Dupre. (via junk culture)
When viewed head on, what at first looks like typography on top of a simple photograph reveals itself to be well-executed anamorphic typography by Chicago designer Thomas Quinn. The illusion is created using a standard light projector that projects the intended design on an uneven surface which is then carefully painted. From every other angle the work looks skewed and almost illegible, but when you stand at just the right spot everything seems to pop into place. You can see many variations of anamorphism right here on Colossal, and don’t forget the absolute master of the art form, Felice Varini. (via this isn’t happiness)
Palimpsest. Aluminum. 27 x 18 x 9 inches
Redacted 1/1. Aluminum. 27 x 18 x 9 inches.
Soritical Maze 1/1. Steel. 28 x 17 x 11 inches.
Constellation 1/1. Steel. 26 x 28 x 18 inches.
Just last week Colossal featured the work of Hong Seong Jang who used the long aluminum sticks of moveable type to create miniature cities. Now we have the figurative sculptures of artist Dale Dunning who welds together lead type and other hardware to create intricate masks and heads. Of his work Dunning says:
The head that has been featured in my work for the last 13 years is a generic, simplified form not specific to gender, devoid of detail, resembling an egg. The head is universally recognized, easy to identify with. We live in our heads, see, feel, and experience the world in our head. It serves as the foundation upon which I can develop various paths to explore.
Though I’m struck by the the final shape of his figures, I find myself almost more intrigued by the processes Dunning must utilize to create them. I’m told that the last piece above, Constellation 1/1, is made from 900 welded bolts and washers and I can’t even imagine how one would embark on such a time-consuming process. You can see much more of his work here. All images courtesy Oeno Gallery. (via my amp goes to 11)
Photographer Lee Jung lives and works in Seoul, South Korea where she created and photographed this gorgeous series of text-based light installations. Jung had work on display at the Hong Kong International Art Fair with One and J. Gallery which closed yesterday. (via booooooom)
Type City is a recent artwork by artist Hong Seon Jang that uses pieces of movable type from a printing press to create an elaborate cityscape. It’s fascinating to watch as the need for printed books and typography wanes, the unused objects themselves are more frequently used as an actual medium. Jang also completed a much larger Type City in 2009. Also, if you liked this, make sure you watch the creation of Ephemicropolis by Peter Root, a city built from 100,000 staples. Images courtesy Hong Seon Jang and David B. Smith Gallery. (via quipsologies)
Life is Beautiful is a 2009 installation by Iranian artist Farhad Moshiri using hundreds of kitchen knives to create some exquisite typography. (via notcot)
Throne: The Book of Revelation; letters cut from the Koran, 44.5 x 30 in, 2012
Throne: The Book of Revelation (detail); letters cut from the Koran, 44.5 x 30 in, 2012
Throne: The Book of Revelation (detail); letters cut from the Koran, 44.5 x 30 in, 2012
Bliss; letters cut from the Koran, 9 x 7.75 in, 2011
Bliss (detail); letters cut from the Koran, 9 x 7.75 in, 2011
The Satanic Verses: “Repentance” from the Koran; letters cut from “The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie, 21 x 19 in, 2012
The Satanic Verses: “Repentance” from the Koran (detail); letters cut from “The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie, 21 x 19 in, 2012
Artist Meg Hitchock (previously) has completed a number of new, elaborate collage works with letters cut from assorted books including the Koran and Salmon Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses. The patience required to assemble these absolutely astounds me. If you’re unfamiliar with her work here’s a quote from her artist statement:
In my text drawings I deconstruct the word of God by cutting letters from sacred writings and rearranging them to form a passage from another holy book. I may cut letters from the Bible and reassemble them as a passage from the Koran, or use letters cut from the Torah to recreate an ancient Tantric text. The individual letters are glued to the paper in a continuous line of type, without spaces or punctuation, in order to discourage a literal reading of the text. By bringing together the sacred writings of diverse traditions, I create a visual tapestry of inspired writings, all pointing beyond specifics to the universal need for connection with something greater than oneself.
If you’d like to see some of these pieces up close, Hitchcock currently has work on view all over New York at ACA Galleries, BRIC Contemporary Art and Shick Art Gallery at Skidmore College.
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© 2010-2013 Christopher Jobson, all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. I try my best to attribute images, videos, and quotes to their creators and original sources. If you see something on Colossal that's misattributed or you would like removed, please contact me. The Colossal logo and name Colossal are the trademarks of Christopher Jobson.
